India yesterday said it has not changed its position on the Dalai Lama to please China and added that he's free to carry out his religious activities in the country.

The Centre was reacting to media reports that it had asked government officials to stay away from events related to commemorate 60 years of the exile in India of the Buddhist spiritual leader. This alleged directive was attributed to India not wanting to rock the boat vis-S-vis relations with Beijing, which considers the Dalai Lama a "dangerous separatist", and which considers Tibet a part of China.

The government didn't specifically deny that it issued such a directive. All it said was that its position on the Dalai Lama hasn't changed.

"The government's position on His Holiness the Dalai Lama is clear and consistent. He is a revered religious leader and is deeply respected by the people of India. There is no change in that position. He is accorded all freedom to carry out his religious activities in India," said a statement issued yesterday by the ministry of external affairs(MEA).

A whole host of events have been planned to mark 60 years of the Dalai Lama being in India. The spiritual leader fled Lhasa in Tibet in March 1959 when the Chinese government cracked down on the Tibetan independence movement.