By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, APR. 2: The Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama who arrived in Guwahati, Assam on Saturday to start a twelve day tour to Assam and Arunachal told a gathering at the Assam Tribune’s platinum jubilee celebration that he is undeterred by the Chinese objection for his visit to the Tawang region in the border state of Arunachal Pradesh.
He said it is normal for China to object his movement and that he has no ‘problem or fears’ over the censure and reservation meted against him in the run up to his trip maintaining that he is there to “promote religious harmony”.
The Chinese government was livid at New Delhi for allowing the Tibetan leader to visit the region in the border state of Arunachal Pradesh which they claim as their own as part of “southern Tibet”. The octogenarian Tibetan leader was also asked to limit his engagements in Assam to religious activities by banned terror outfit ULFA.
“In a democratic setup, people are supreme and awareness of rights is very important. I have been to over 200 countries but India is the only country which can make material development and also preserve compassion at same breadth. Without karuna, ahimsa is impossible,” the Dalai Lama said.
The Nobel laureate also said that associating religion with terrorism and branding them as “Muslim terrorists or Buddhist terrorist” is wrong and may lead to further misunderstandings.
He also launched the Assamese translation of his memoir ‘My Land and my People’ at the event attended by Assam Governor Banwarilal Purohit and Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
Meanwhile, the Tibetan leader told reporters that arriving in the northeastern part of India gives him a similar feeling he had in 1959 while escaping from Chinese aggression. “The days prior to my arrival in India was filled with tension and the only concern was safety, but I experienced freedom when I was received warm-heartedly by the people and officials and a new chapter began in my life,” the Octogenarian Tibetan leader said recalling his escape in 1959.
Tomorrow, the Dalai Lama will give a public talk at the Dibrugarh University before heading to Arunachal Pradesh where he is scheduled to consecrate a new Tara Temple in Lumla as well as give teachings on Kamalashila’s The Middling States of Meditation & Gyalsey Thokme Sangpo’s Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva at Yiga Choezin. On April 7, the 81 year old will confer the Rinzin Dhondup Initiation at Yiga Choezin.
