Guwahati: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama promised on Tuesday to donate to flood-ravaged Assam “as a show of my solidarity” with the state’s people.
In a letter to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Dalai Lama voiced his worry over the state’s extreme rainfall and flooding, which has resulted in numerous deaths, displaced millions of people, and destroyed property.
“It is most unfortunate that the monsoon rains in Assam and other parts of India seem to wreak havoc year after year. I would like to express my sadness about the hardship caused to so many people in your state due to the recent floods. I offer my deep condolences to you, to the families who have lost loved ones, and to everyone affected by the flooding,” he said in the letter as reported by PTI.
The Tibetan leader praised the work of rescue and relief agencies, saying they are “doing everything they can to rescue people who have been affected and provide them with relief.”
“As a mark of my solidarity with the people of Assam, I am making a donation from the Gaden Phodrang Trust of the Dalai Lama to support those efforts,” he said in his letter.
Over the previous week, disastrous floods have hit the north-eastern state, affecting 47,72,140 people in 32 of the 36 districts.
The new deaths bring the total number of people killed in Assam’s floods and landslides this year to 82.