PM Modi wishes the Dalai Lama on his 86th birthday. Is this a message to China?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called up His Holiness the Dalai Lama to wish him a long and healthy life on his 86th birthday. PM Modi shared on Twitter that he has conveyed his greetings to His Holiness.

The Prime Minister had skipped wishing His Holiness in 2020 after India was drawn into a border standoff along the LAC with China. In 2019, the Prime Minister had sent a private birthday greeting to the Dalai Lama.

China does not accept the Dalai Lama's government-in-exile in India. The Tibetan religious leader, the Dalai Lama has been living in exile in Dharamsala for over sixty years.

PM Modi’s call to Dalai Lama on his birthday is likely to have political and diplomatic ramifications