DHARAMSHALA, October 2: The Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama called the denial of visa to him by South Africa for the 14th Nobel Summit “an act of a bully”. The 78-year-old Nobel peace laureate was speaking today on the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, which the Tibetan exile government had chosen to officially commemorate the 25th year of conferment of the Nobel peace prize on His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
The official function at the Tsuklakhang courtyard was attended by fellow Nobel laureates Jody Williams and Shirin Ebadi, Tibetan PM Lobsang Sangay, speaker of the Tibetan parliament Penpa Tsering, among others.
The Tibetan leader expressed his appreciation of the support from fellow Nobel laureates including Shirin Ebadi and Jody Williams who had refused to attend the 14th Nobel Summit after he was denied visa by South Africa under Chinese pressure. “I wholeheartedly thank all those fellow Nobel laureates who have expressed their support to truth and justice.”
The summit has been postponed and moved out of South Africa, according to sources. Four Nobel peace laureates from South Africa had invited the other laureates through their foundations.
The 1989 Nobel peace laureate said that one must follow the philosophies of Mahatma Gandhi in daily life instead of merely commemorating his birthday. He said though Mahatma Gandhi is no more his philosophies continue to be benefit to the humanity even today.
“Though I had not met Gandhi he appeared once in my dream, he looked different from his pictures,” said the Tibetan leader, sending the audience into a rapturous laughter.
Shirin Ebadi, Iranian human rights activist who won Nobel peace prize in 2003, said she fought for human rights around the world for 45 years and that she constantly draws inspiration from the Tibetan leader. “I hope the Chinese government will learn from Dalai Lama what I have learned,” said Ebadi through a translator.
Jody Williams expressed sadness that the Nobel laureates would not be able to celebrate together the legacy of Nelson Mandela in South Africa. She said their protest against denial of visa to His Holiness was directed at China and not at the organizations that had invited the Nobel laureates to South Africa.
The three Nobel laureates enjoyed cultural performances by the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts and various Tibetan schools here.
