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It has been 56 years since the 14th Dalai Lama, the religious and political leader of the Tibetans, fled to India, where he now lives in exile. Now 80, the Lama has spent the majority of his life as a refugee in India, having turned up in Mussoorie at the age of just 24. In a rare video by British Pathe, we get a glimpse of the Lama's first meeting with then Indian Prime MInister Jawaharlal Nehru, who welcomed the Tibetan leader along with thousands of people out on the streets to show support and catch sight of the monk.

Remarkable historical documents, published by the Jawahar Lal Nehru in the Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru (Part II - Volume 48, April 1- 30, 1959), feature a rare first-hand transcript of the discussion between Nehru and the Dalai Lama. According to the publisher, there was only one man who was present while the two leaders were talking: Subimal Dutt, the then Foreign Secretary of India. In the transcript, Nehru described his feeling of excitement at meeting the Dalai Lama and expressed his concern for Tibet, but he also told the Lama that there was no way India could guarantee independence for Tibet.

"Let us face facts. One cannot bring heaven to the people in India even if I wish it," Nehru said. The whole world cannot bring freedom to Tibet unless the whole fabric of the Chinese state is destroyed. U.S.A., U.K., and others or anybody else cannot do this at present. [The Dalai Lama] should realise that in the present context Tibet’s independence would mean the complete break-up of the Chinese state and it is not possible to envisage it as likely to happen.To defeat China is not easy. Only a world war, an atomic war can perhaps be the precursor of such a possibility. Can one start a world war? Can India start a world war? Let us talk of the present and not of the future and be more realistic."