New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (July 6, 2021) spoke to Dalai Lama over phone and wished the Tibetan spiritual leader on his 86th birthday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared the news through his official Twitter account.

The Prime Minister said, "Spoke on phone to His Holiness Dalai Lama to convey greetings on his 86th birthday. We wish him a long and healthy life."

This, notably, is a very significant development as for the first time a public announcement has come on PM Modi's call to Dalai Lama on his birthday. No such public announcements were made in 2017 during the Doklam crisis or during the Galwan stand-off in 2020.

However, during his days as the chief minister of Gujarat, PM Modi used to regularly wish Dalai Lama.

The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, has been living in India for more than six decades now.

Earlier in the day, he acknowledged how India's freedom and religious harmony have served him. In a virtual address from his residence in Dharamshala, the Tibetan spiritual leader said, "Since I became a refugee and settled in India, I have taken full advantage of India's freedom and religious harmony. I want to assure you that for the rest of my life, I am committed to reviving ancient Indian knowledge."

"I really appreciate the Indian concept of secular values, not dependent on religion, such as honesty, karuna (compassion) and ahimsa (non-violence)," he added.

The development, on expected lines, will be keenly watched by China. China in the past has come up with strong comments if anything related to Tibet, Taiwan, atrocities in Xinjiang has been raised but that has only been counterproductive with these issues gathering more focus globally.