Bihar poll results show people prefer harmony: Dalai Lama
Terming the incidents of intolerance in India as “occasional acts by a few mischievous people”, the Dalai Lama on Saturday said the Bihar election results had shown that people in a Hindu majority state preferred harmony.
Terming the incidents of intolerance in India as “occasional acts by a few mischievous people”, the Dalai Lama on Saturday said the Bihar election results had shown that people in a Hindu majority state preferred harmony.

The Nobel Laureate, who was at Lovely Professional University (LPU) here to chair its annual convocation, said this while responding to a question on the increasing intolerance the country.
When asked to elaborate his remarks on Bihar, the Dalai Lama said he wouldn’t comment on Indian politics as he had been the guest of the country for long. “I believe politics should be a technique to serve people effectively and organise people rather than create problems and divide them,” he said. “There may be some mischievous individuals. Some party politics or other interests can be the reason behind unethical happenings. But it should not be taken as the real picture. If I may say so, the Bihar results have shown that a majority of Hindu people still believe in harmony,” he said.
Showering praise on the secular face of India, the Dalai Lama said a few instances should not be taken as a blot on a country that had been practising secularism for more than 2,000 years. “India’s religious harmony is remarkable. And secular ethics have been followed here for more than 2,000 years. I am a Buddhist and Buddhism comes from India. Indians are traditionally our gurus and we are the chelas (followers). The country has recognised secularism not only for all religions but also for non-believers. That’s something unique about India’s secularism,” he said.
About a recent US delegation raising concerns over the freedom of expression in Tibet, the spiritual guru said a few people had raised genuine concerns. “Among Chinese friends also, there are people who have continuously raised this concern. More than 100 articles have appeared in Chinese newspapers that have raised similar concerns on Tibet,” the Dalai Lama said.
Condemns Paris killings
The Dalai Lama condemned the killings in the Friday-night Paris terror attack, “Violence is a reaction by short-sighted, out-of-control people. At 81, I believe it cannot be resolved through prayers or government help. We have to begin the change at individual level and then move on to neighbourhood and society,” he said.