By Tendar Tsering
DHARAMSHALA, September 14: His Holiness the Dalai Lama arrived in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina Tuesday evening where he was welcomed by representatives of the Argentinean Ministry of External Affairs.
His Holiness had an hour long meeting with the Argentinean media upon arrival and said that his purpose of visit was to “promote human value and religious harmony.”
The Tibetan spiritual leader also urged the media to take an equal responsibility to promote and create awareness about these basic human values.
“Media people should report unbiasedly, honestly and truthfully about social problems in order to benefit the larger society,” the Dalai Lama was quoted as saying.
Calling corruption a new form of cancer in many parts of the world, the 76-year old Nobel Peace laureate encouraged the media to take a leading role in fighting against the social malady.
“Those who indulge in such unhealthy practice would not admit. Therefore, it is the media role to investigate and report about these unhealthy practices,” the Dalai Lama said.
Following the press conference His Holiness met fellow Nobel Peace Laureate Adolfo Pérez Esquivel and later in the afternoon delivered a lecture on “Transforming the Youth for a Better World” at the Coliseo auditorium to a young crowd of over 2,000 people.
Before arriving in Argentina, His Holiness was in Mexico where he gave a public talk on “Finding Happiness in the Troubled Times,” attended by a record gathering of around 30,000 people.
Responding to a question following his talk, the Dalai Lama said that “even Chairman Mao supported the Tibetan flag” while recalling a meeting with the then helmsman in Beijing in 1954.
“So, if people complain about displaying Tibetan flag, then, tell them that even Chairman Mao also had no objection displaying the flag,” His Holiness said, referring to the Tibetan flags displayed by Mexican supporters at the public talk.
Before the Tibetan spiritual leader’s fourth visit to Argentina, local press had reported on the Argentinean government’s decision to rescind earlier plans of honouring the Dalai Lama as a National Distinguished Guest and with the Buenos Aires City Honour Medal following Chinese pressure.
