Tibetan Spiritual Leader and Highest Indian Medal : Why India Refrains From Conferring the Bharat Ratna on the Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet, is, in fact, a loyal and grateful guest of India, who has tirelessly been branding and promoting the Indian classical traditions throughout the world. However, the Indian government, no matter of which political ruling party, is very cautious about embracing this Buddhist monk and officially appreciating his contributions to the country.  It is known that the Dalai Lama has been the sensitive political issue between China and India, and that he is often a political card in the diplomacy between the two neighbouring countries; but that is not the whole story. History has proven that the Indian society still can easily go outraged when it comes to sensitive religious matters. Thus, the government has no choice but to be extremely sophisticated and walk a tightrope concerning highlighting any spiritual leader among many others. 

Keywords:
Dalai Lama, Bharat Ratna, Religion, Tibet, Clash of Civilisation