DHARAMSALA: Tibetans in exile are hoping that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to Dharamsala, which begins on Thursday, would result in a meeting with their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, who has lived in exile in northern India for more than six decades.

The expectation derives from the fact that Modi had only recently spoken with the Dalai Lama to wish him a long and healthy life on his 86th birthday.

The possible encounter -- the first publicly with the globetrotting aged Buddhist monk, feted by some of the world's top leaders, since he took over as Prime Minister in 2014 -- is seen by Indian officials as an attempt with spiritual, political, and diplomatic repercussions.

The engagement can be interpreted as a severe warning amid deteriorating relations between India and China in recent months, as well as a strategic shift in India's support for the Dalai Lama in any decision he makes over his reincarnation.

In addition, India will try to signal to the US its intention to raise the profile of the Tibet issue at a time when the US administration passed the Tibetan Policy and Support Act in 2020, stating that only the Dalai Lama should have control over his reincarnation, rather than complying with China's laws to impose its sanctioned successor.

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