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Did Dalai Lama ever thank India for its gesture?
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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Hare Ram, Hare Krishna rubs Hindus the wrong way
23 May 2007 
I guess most of you must have seen the promos and even heard or read the news on internet about this new movie "Bhool Bhulaiya" been in limelight because of picturisation of eight semi-naked women dancing to a song which names Hindu gods Ram and Krishna wearing clothes with Hindu God names written on it.
I am not against the idea of making movies on any religion or portraying Hindu culture or God in a movie song in a mannered way, but there is some kind of limit to everything. The maker of this Indian movie and the song have not only hurt the sentiments of the Hindus worldwide but also given a chance or rather an angle to the rest of the world to point fingers on long cherished Indian culture or tradition.
I know most of the people reading this article will not care about it, but as an Indian I would like to point out that we should not make such movies or songs which would give chance to the world to bad mouth or point finger at our Religion or culture. As we all know that now a days people see the world (here India) through the eyes of Cinema or the media, we should always refrain from making any thing which will set wrong image of India or Indian culture in the minds of people.
When ever I talk to western people here about India, all they can come up with is "Snake Charmer" or "people with turban (Sikhs)" or "elephant rides" and of course the Bollywood. Is this all we want the world to know about India…?
Wake up Indian Cinema industry. If we continue to play with the emotions or the sentiments of our own Religion and culture in the public, then what is the use of teaching or preaching Indian values to the whole world when you can't implement or abide by yourself.
Again it is sad to know that now a days our own Indian people particularly politicians don't think twice what they say and don't even imagine what impact it would make on the rest of the world. Yes, I am talking about the famous "Ram Setu" controversy where Tamilnadu state Chief Minister Mr. Karunanidhi questioned existence of Lord Ram. His passionate and very irresponsible comments again were talk of the town. Did someone ask him existence of his own clan? To him it must have been another political stunt but in large it hurt sentiments of millions of Hindus worldwide who believe that God exists.
Has Hindu religion become a child's play that any person can do whatever they want to do with it or no one cares about the sentiments of the Hindus? Can you do the same with other religion too and would they tolerate it?
Well I know that my writing all this here wont make a big difference in the thought of movie makers or the media, but still as a free man on this planet I have right to express my thoughts specially when it is to be put on my blog.
God bless Indian Cinema !
PS:While I was writing this article, I came across this article that there are some people who are actually who care about it and are protesting this song, don't know if they also have some political motive behind this but whatever done good in the sake of Religion is always appreciating.
Article from Times of India
MUMBAI: A non-governmental organisation on Tuesday filed a civil suit seeking a stay on the release of the film 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa' alleging that the promotional cut of the film is defamatory and hurts the religious sentiments of Buddhists and Hindus.
The NGO, Eccha Foundation, has named Sharmila Tagore, the chairperson of the Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC) as a respondent to the suit for failing to notice the allegedly defamatory sequence in the film. Producers Bhushan and Krishan Kumar, director Priyadarshan, actor Akshay Kumar and choreographer of the song ‘Hare Krishna, Hare Ram’ have also been named as respondents.
The NGO said that it had taken offence at the picturisation of the song in which "semi-naked women danced in a vulgar fashion before an idol of Gautam Buddha."
"The picturisation of the song includes eight semi-naked women dancing to a song which names Hindu gods Ram and Krishna. One of the women is shown obscenely standing on the lap of an idol as if to offer prayers which we found to be insulting to Buddha, Ram and Krishna," said Anand Kamble, the NGO’s chairperson.
"We have pleaded that the CBFC be directed to cancel the certification of the film and re-issue an appropriate one after deleting the song," said advocate Sushan Kunjuraman. The movie is set for release on October 12. The suit also asked the court for restriction of release, distribution and exhibition of the film and withdrawal of the current promotional cut from television channels and the internet. The matter will be heard in court on October 6.