Dalai Lama greets people of Sikkim

Dharamsala, Nov 7 : Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama Saturday greeted the people of Sikkim on the occasion of a five-day 'Tibet Festival' in Gangtok.

"I send my greetings on the occasion of a Tibet Festival that is being held in Gangtok from Nov 6 to 10 by the Tibetan community... It is befitting that this festival is being held to coincide with the 50 years of the Tibetan people's life in exile," he said in a statement, according to the website of the Tibetan government-in-exile here.

The Nobel laureate also dwelt on how Buddhism contributed to the evolution of the identity of people of Sikkim.

"This Buddhist cultural heritage encourages the cultivation of such ideals as compassion, peace and non-violence, which have a role to play in the development of Sikkimese society. Therefore, one way of getting the benefit from this heritage and preserving it is to incorporate its message in the educational system," the Dalai Lama said.

The Dalai Lama has lived in exile in Dharamsala since 1959 after a failed uprising against Communist rule. His government-in-exile here is not recognised by any country. India is home to some 100,000 Tibetan exiles.

--IANS