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The Dalai Lama has been called out for being “creepy” and “disgusting” after he asked a minor boy to suck his tongue.
A day after Tibetan guru the Dalai Lama’s video asking a kid to suck his tongue triggered furore across the globe, the Nobel laureate and spiritual leader who goes by the title “His Holiness”, showed remorse but his apology was dubbed as aberrant abusive behaviour by several in India.
It’s unclear if India’s top child rights protection body – the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) had begun a probe but its chief confirmed they were aware of the apology by the exiled leader who lives in Dharamsala.
Facing flak for his pedophiliac behaviour, the Dalai Lama issued a statement on his Twitter on Monday morning. “A video clip has been circulating that shows a recent meeting when a young boy asked His Holiness the Dalai Lama if he could give him a hug. His Holiness wishes to apologize to the boy and his family, as well as his many friends across the world, for the hurt his words may have caused.”
“His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras. He regrets the incident,” the statement reads.
Speaking to The New Indian, NCPCR chairman Priyanka Kanoongo said, “Since he has already apologized, we are not considering any action against him for now. If we initiate any process, we will inform you.”
The 14th Dalai Lama, currently living in exile in India, has found himself at the centre of the controversy after a video of him kissing a minor boy on the lips and then asking him to suck his tongue went viral on social media.
The video shows the Buddhist spiritual leader extending his tongue towards the child and asking him if he can suck it. Many people called the spiritual leader’s behaviour as “creepy” and “disgusting”.
Many viewers were also disturbed by the actions of the others in the video, who were seen clapping and smiling. Many also pointed out that the child in the video appeared to be extremely uncomfortable with the act.
However, there are many who tried to defend the 82-year-old leader, saying that there might be a religious connotation for The Dalai Lama’s behaviour in Tibetan culture. They also cited a BBC article that stated that sticking out one’s tongue is a customary way of greeting in Tibet, dating back to the 9th century.
Some users suggested that the lack of outrage from the people around at the time suggested that there may not have been anything offensive about the Dalai Lama’s actions.
This is not the first time that the Dalai Lama has found himself in hot water. In 2019, he triggered an outcry when he suggested that if a woman were to succeed him, she should be “attractive”.
The comments were made during a 2019 interview with a British broadcaster. The comment drew widespread condemnation from across the globe. The Dalai Lama later apologised for his remarks.
The institution of the Dalai Lama, however, remained unchallenged and unblemished in Tibetan Buddhism despite the recent controversies of the octogenarian.
In a recent development, the 14th Dalai Lama has recently identified an 8-year-old Mongolian boy born in the United States as the reincarnation of a prominent spiritual leader. The boy has been recognised as the reincarnation of the 10th Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa Rinpoche, the third most significant leader in Tibetan Buddhism.
