"We are very much committed to remain with the People's Republic of China, provided we have full rights to preserve our culture and language.

"We Tibetans never forget others' kindness and it is our duty to thank Karnataka and India for being kind to us (Tibetans) and helping Tibetan refugees thrive," the 83-year-old Nobel laureate said addressing the "Thank You Karnataka" event here.

After China annexed Tibet in 1950, thousands of Tibetans, including monks, were forced to flee the mountain country and settle in India as refugees.

The Dalai Lama also fled to India from Tibet after a failed uprising against the Chinese rule in 1959.

Since then, India has been home to over 100,000 Tibetans majorly settled in Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh among other states.

Apart from former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru who supported the Tibetan refugees' resettlement in India, former Karnataka (then Mysore state) Chief Minister S. Nijalingappa, who was in office from 1962-68, had helped the community by providing them with land for living, the spiritual leader recalled.

Courtesy: eenaduindia.com