Abode of Shyam Pandey
In: My India
1 Sep 2007
Below are two articles which I read from India Tribune website and felt like putting it on my blog. Please read it and let me know if you think same what the writers felt…
Indian hospitality and Dalai Lama True Romance ipod By Nand Kapoor — Chicago: Recently, the Dalai Lama has been in the news with US President George W. Bush greeting him for his contributions despite many obstructions in Washington. But the world has ignored what India did for the Dalai Lama, facing many difficulties from China. India opened its door to this globally famous religious leader when he fled his motherland, Tibet. When he was denied asylum by other nations. India offered the Dalai Lama a stay and freedom. “Did the Dalai Lama ever thank India for its gesture?” was the headline of a recent opinion, expressed in India Tribune, by Renu Gupta. A lot of kudos to her for bringing up the facts of how India is being used for many years by prominent people without really feeling grateful to it. I also congratulate Renu Gupta for bringing up this fact and love for the Motherland as India has always been used by everyone, including the East India Company which came as poor traders and by their cunningness ruled the country for hundreds of years. I want to tell Renu Gupta not to urge the Dalai Lama to thank India and its people for providing him and his followers the home and giving him the true freedom for working of his cause. But pray God that the Dalai Lama should search his soul and his inner sanctity to realize that Indians and India not only deserve thanks but also they should be worshipped for their kind act of providing all that is needed by the Dalai Lama and his followers. Hosting foreigner is not new to India. Whenever any saint comes for preaching or doing social work, India does not object. But these saints use the opportunity to help the poor masses and indulge in their conversion. In the same way, Indian leaders are also using the country’s masses as a vote-bank for their re-elections. So it is better to call India as a user’s friendly country. But, the ocean of India’s hospitality never dries up. India was and India is and will remain generous, kind, and a compassionate country for the needy. I, along with television icon Bill Kurtis, was part of a committee to welcome the Tibetans to Chicago.
By Renu Gupta — West Chester, OH: Dalai Lama, head of the worldwide Buddha Dharma, is on tour to the US. He was received by President George W. Bush. He received the highest civilian award of the US Congress, the prestigious Congressional Gold Award. Dalai Lama has traveled worldwide and has gained support for his cause, the liberation of Tibet. How much of this will be achieved only time will tell. Dalai Lama has conducted retreats, meditation camps, seminars and given several lectures at different universities. Hollywood celebrities like Richard Gear are his followers. He is the author of New York Times bestseller books like Freedom in Exile, an autobiographical account and Art of Living. Dalai Lama received Noble Peace Prize for his efforts get “Freedom of Tibet” in 1989. China has been simply ignoring all of his efforts. I have read his books and searched the word India all along, and I did not get much of the success. The US media covers Dalai Lama’s trip very well. He has become a household name among the intellectuals of the US. I have not heard him mentioning India’s name or his appreciation towards India anytime. There was a movie, Kundun released in 1997 about Chinese oppression over Tibet. In the movie, Dalai Lama, as young monk, approaches each and every nation to get the shelter, even the nations, who have Buddhism as their official religion. No country came forward to confront China over the Tibet issue and to give shelter to Dalai Lama. Even the nations like Japan, Thailand or Vietnam where a large number of population follows Buddhism, and Dalai Lama is their Dharma guru. The only country that responded to his appeal was India. The movie ends with his entry to India in 1959. India, the birth place of Guatam Buddha and Buddha Dharma, has an ancient tradition of providing shelter to many including Bahai, Zoroastrians, Jews and Bouddha. All these faiths had danger in their own homeland and they came to India to survive. Dalai Lama’s entry into India is not a surprise to us. Whole city of Dharmsahala in Himachal Pradesh has been given to Him. India has provided home to hundreds of thousands of fleeing Tibetan refugees. India is already overcrowded and scares every inch of land. Dalai Lama enjoys special status and all the privileges in India. The shelter to Dalai Lama had cost India a war with China in 1961, which India lost. Several thousand of soldiers gave their lives and large piece of land in Laddakh and Arunanchal is still under the control China. There is constant danger from China. India was not prepared for the war as Nehru was singing the song of “Hindi-Chini are brothers.” Let’s examine the similar situation, when Shah of Iran left his country after his overthrow by Khomeini; no country, including the US gave him shelter. Even though America has been the closest friend of Shah. Shah of Iran spent last years of life in Panama after paying large sum of money. This question always haunts me — “When no nation had come forward to give shelter to Dalai Lama, and if it was not India, where would he have gone?” I urge Dalai Lama to thank India and its people for providing him and his followers the home and giving him true freedom for working of his cause. He should please remember India during his talks, writings and interviews.
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1 Response to Did Dalai Lama ever thank India for its gesture?
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December 21st, 2007 at 3:46 pm
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