By Kalsang Rinchen
Dharamsala, March 18 – His Holiness the Dalai Lama said compassion, love and kindness are the basis for protection of human rights. The 74-year-old Tibetan leader was speaking yesterday at a lecture on ”Human Rights through Universal responsibly” organized by the Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission at the Vidhan Sabha auditorium in Bhopal.
Madhya Pradesh Governor Rameshwar Thakur and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan were present among other important dignitaries.
His Holiness was introduced at the lecture as ‘son of India’, a remark that the Tibetan leader has made at several gatherings of Indian people in the past. He said he considers himself a ‘Son of India’ having lived in the country for 51 years now and lauded India for values like compassion from which he draws inspiration. Fumed by His Holiness’ ‘son of India’ remarks, China earlier criticized the Tibetan leader accusing him of “pleasing his Indian masters” by describing himself as “a son of India”. The exile Tibetan government reacted by saying that the Dalai Lama’s remarks were taken out of context. It said His Holiness considered himself to be “a citizen of the world”, and his ties to India were in the context of Buddhism’s ancient links to the country, the spokesperson of the exile Tibetan government, Thubten Samphel told The Hindu last month.
His Holiness said all religious faiths are based on universal truth though there are different belief systems and methods of praying to god.
Governor Thakur and Chief Minister Chouhan lauded His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s work towards promotion of human values and human rights in the modern world.
A book, Human Values and Human Rights was also launched at the event.
His Holiness will give a three – day teaching in the Indian capital starting tomorrow.
