Thread by @BBCRajiniV

A thread 👇🏽.

Last week I travelled to Dharamsala to the residence of the #DalaiLama.

He’s lived in exile in India for more than 60 years, after China sent troops into #Tibet in 1959.

As he approaches his 84th birthday I asked him a range of questions.

#BBCDalaiLama

The interview was wide ranging.

The Dalai Lama was scathing about President Trump arguing he has “no moral principle”. He hit out at his America First policies.

Watch the clip here.

#BBCDalaiLama. #DalaiLama #Trump.

It’s significant that the @DalaiLama hasn’t met or talked to @realDonaldTrump because he had such a strong relationship with past US presidents. Barack Obama and George W Bush most recently. George W Bush even did a painting of the Dalai Lama. bbc.com/news/av/world-…

This was perhaps the most surprising moment in the interview. I asked the Dalai Lama if he stood by his earlier comment that if his successor was female, she should be attractive.

He said he did. Watch here:

#DalaiLama #BBCDalaiLama.

The Dalai Lama says he’s a believer in the spirit of the European Union and supports the UK #remaining - but one of his quotes was once used in a poster for the #leave campaign. And it’s a controversial one. I asked him about this - and the answers are surprising.

The Dalai Lama told me China’s President Xi has yet to ask him for a meeting. He did say he’s talked to some retired Chinese officials in recent years though, which I found interesting. Other officials have been less than flattering, one called him a demon. More on China here:

“We forget the oneness of humanity,” the Dalai Lama told me when I asked him about why there is so much intolerance in today’s world. #DalaiLama.

For those of you who want to see/hear the longer interview. It airs on BBC TV and Radio this weekend.

Here’s the details if you’re listening on the wireless.

bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3c…

For those of you who want to watch the longer interview, here is when it airs on @BBCWorld TV.

bbc.co.uk/programmes/n3c…

I also wrote a text piece reflecting on the discussion I’d had with the Dalai Lama. You can read that here: The Dalai Lama on Trump, women and going home bbc.co.uk/news/world-asi…

During the interview the Dalai Lama said one reason he likes living in India is because he’s free to speak openly, unlike in China. In many ways that’s what happened in this interview. He was brutally honest. Some of his answers were surprising and shocking. But he was honest.

I’ve had messages accusing me of stirring up controversy. Not true.
I read/watched the Dalai Lama’s past interviews. When I saw the women/refugee statements I decided to ask him for clarification like any journo would. His answers are his answers. He chose to say what he said.

In relation to his comments on President #Trump, it’s worth mentioning that the #DalaiLama doesn’t think the US has abandoned him overall. Says he has lots of support in Congress and praised @VP Mike Pence for his criticism of China over Tibet. whitehouse.gov/briefings-stat…