Dalai Lama visits Tawang, calls China's objections baseless

Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh), Nov.8 : Thousands of Buddhist monks and supporters welcomed Tibet's exiled spiritual leader to Arunachal Pradesh in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang district on Sunday.

The Dalai Lama arrived here in a helicopter in this remote Buddhist enclave nestled in the icy folds of the Himalayas, which he had passed through after fleeing Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule.

On arrival, Tibetan spiritual leader said his visit is merely a spiritual tour and China’s objection over such a tour was unwanted. He said his visit was non-political and China which did not pursue him and other Tibetans when they escaped to India, were now voicing different views on his visit to Tawang.

"That's quite usual, wherever I go... It's totally baseless. Wherever I go,' said Dalai Lama in Tawang.

"My visit here is non-political. However I just want to tell you one thing. The … stated or created a slogan, seeking truth from facts. So I want to tell you two facts. 1959, when we came across… no Chinese follows, no Chinese pursues us and then not only me, several thousand Tibetans cross this border. So as soon as they reach here, safe. This is number one fact. Number two fact, 1962, liberation army occupied Tawang and I think reached nearly Bomdi La. but then the Chinese government unilaterally ceasefire and withdraw. So at that time… but his other leadership unilaterally withdraw. So that also one fact. But now Chinese have different views. That's something I don't know. So I'm also a bit surprised. So now you must seek truth from these two facts," said the Nobel Laureate Dalai Lama.

Speaking to mediapersons, Dalai Lama said: 'Main things are two things, number one, promotion of human value. Wherever I go, now I just returned from Japan. The main thing is explanation. The ultimate source of happiness, successful life is within ourselves. If we rely totally on money in order to achieve happy life, it's wrong. Money of course is important, however the ultimate source of inner peace, happiness in life is within ourselves. So that's I originally call human value. That is within our self. That's universal whether religious people or non-believer, same. So that's my number one commitment. Number two commitment is promotion of religious harmony. So, now here also mainly like that, but Chinese communists, quite sad, my every movement, they consider something 'splittist' movement."


Dalai Lama is scheduled to hold discourses in the three centuries old Tawang monastery and at nearby Dirang from November 9 to 12 and another at Bomdila before leaving for Itanagar.

China has repeatedly raised objection to Dalai Lama's visit to Tawang area.

To China's objection over Dalai Lama's visit to Tawang, India has stated that the Tibetan leader was free to travel any part of India, but he was not allowed to indulge in political activities.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after meeting his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao recently in Hua Hin city of Thailand had stated that the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama was an honoured guest of India and was free to travel anywhere he wished to.

India has maintained that the Tibetans are not allowed to indulge in political activities on Indian soil.

--ANI