Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama on Thursday said he is not seeking separation of his homeland from China but is seeking more autonomy for his people.

"People in China are increasingly realizing that I am not seeking the independence of Tibet, but autonomy and preservation of its Buddhist culture," he told the media in Jammu.

The Dalai Lama said only a few Chinese hardliners considered him to be a separatist.

The Nobel Peace Laureate is traveling to Ladakh on Friday where he is going to stay for a month to deliver discourses and meet followers.

After a long hiatus, the Dalai Lama is making his first visit outside his headquarters in Himachal Pradesh's Mcleodganj since leaving Bodh Gaya in January 2020 ahead of the Covid-19 pandemic's outbreak. (AA/IANS)