The vice-chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST), Ravi Thakur, on Monday played down the remarks of Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama that “the Bihar election results prove that a majority of the Hindus prefer harmony”.
“Dalai Lama’s remarks following the outcome of the Bihar elections should not be misinterpreted. He is an apostle of peace. Certain leaders are trying to give political twist to his comments. But his observation should not be misinterpreted,” said Thakur, who is also a Congress legislator from Lahaul-Spiti.
Read: Bihar poll results show people prefer harmony: Dalai Lama
“It’s wrong on the part of certain leaders who are trying to remind Dalai Lama that he was a refugee in India. Dalai Lama chose India as his home in exile since he considered the country a guru (teacher). Many countries have offered him citizenship, besides he has been conferred with highest civilian awards across the world,” he added.
For the Buddhists, Thakur said, the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, was the reincarnation of Avalokiteshvara, a bodhisattva who embodied great compassion.
{{/usCountry}}For the Buddhists, Thakur said, the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, was the reincarnation of Avalokiteshvara, a bodhisattva who embodied great compassion.
{{/usCountry}}Thakur, who heads the NGO, Buddhist Learning and Preservation Society, said the Dalai Lama, all of 23 then, fled Tibet in 1959 after the Chinese army took over Lhasa, the erstwhile capital of Tibet. Since then he has been residing in exile at Dharamshala, he added.