Dharamsala : Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile’s Speaker Ven. Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, along with Deputy Speaker Ven. Acharya Yeshi Phunstok and members of Standing Committee viz., Ven. Atuk Tsetan, Ven. Tenpa Yarphel and Mr. Lobsang Chejor paid a courtesy visit to the state’s Chief Minister, Sh. Jai Ram Thakur at Circuit House on Jan 31 at 8:30 pm.

Speaker Ven. Khenpo Sonam Tenphel greeted the Chief Minister with khatak (tradition Tibetan ceremonial scarf) and offered a thangka painting of Avalokiteshwara on behalf of Tibetan Parliament Secretariat. During the visit, he was apprised of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile and the Tibetan struggle, both inside and outside Tibet. He was also presented with books and pamphlets on His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s history, Self-immolations in Tibet, 6th World Parliamentarian Convention on Tibet and various other publications by the Deputy Speaker Ven. Acharya Yeshi Phuntsok. He also expressed his gratitude to the people and the government of the state for the all the support and facilitation rendered to the Tibetan cause and solicited the opportunity to call on the members of the Himachal Pradesh legislative assembly during their oncoming winter session in Dharamsala.

The Chief Minister, Sh.Jai Ram Thakur also expressed his delight and thanked the members of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile for the visit and assured them of his support to the Tibetan cause. In particular, he expressed his inclination to attend an ongoing Tibetan Parliamentary session when time and opportunity permits in the near future.

Sh. Mahender Singh, Hon’ble Irrigation and Public Health minister (HP), Sh. Arjun Thakur, member of State Legislative Assembly from Jawali (HP) and Sh. Vijay Agnihotri, former member of State’s Legislative Assembly were also present among other dignitaries.