DALAI LAMA SEEKS APOLOGY FOR HIS CONTROVERTIAL REMARKS ON NEHRU

The 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet , in exile in India for the last six decades has expressed his apologies for his highly objectionable remarks criticizing the first prime minister of independent India and holding him responsible for India’s partition saying that had Pandit Nehru accepted and agreed to the advice of Mahatma Gandhi to install the then Muslim League’s president Mohammed Ali Jinnah as free India’s prime minister, India would have not witnessed the partition resulting in so much of chaos and confusion. He said: Nehru was self centred and selfish.

Seeking public apology :The Tibetian spiritual leaders said since my remarks have created so much of controversy and hurt the sentiments of the people. I tender my apologies.

The views of the 14th Dalai Lama spread like a wild fire with print and electronic media of the country covering it adequately thus enticing tremendous criticism from all over , especially in the social media.

The Noble prize for peace reciepient Dalai Lama today sought a public apology on his anti Nehru statement saying that he tenders his unconditional apology and takes his words back if it has really hurt the feeling of the people in India.

The popular Tibetian spiritual leader issued these controvertial remarks two days ago while interacting and addressing the students of Goa Institute of Management in Sankalim, situated more than 30 kilometres northeast of the state capital, Panaji.

During the interaction while replying to a question of one of the students’Dalai Lama said
“I feel democratic systems are too good than the feudal system, that accords power to take decisions by a few people, which is more dangerous,”.

Citing India’s example, he said: “I think Mahatma Gandhiji was very much willing to give the prime ministership to Jinnah.

But Pandit Nehru refused.” This shows that even a “wise and experienced” person like Nehru made mistakes, he added.

These remarks of Dalai Lama created furore in the country with political party Congress and cross sections of the people strongly condemning theTibetan spiritual leader’s highly objectionable remarks accusing him of becoming a pawn of the BJP led NDA government.

The social media like facebook and twitter in particular, saw tremendous write ups condemning the Tibetian spiritual leader’s anti Nehru remarks saying that how selfish has 14 th Dalai Lama had become that a prime minister who gave him refuge, respect, honour and permanent residence in India and who became one of the prime reasons’ for Chinese 1962 aggression against India calls Jawahar Lal Nehru as selfish and self centred and the chief reason for India’s partiton thus arbitrarily favouring Mohammed Ali Jinnah who actually was the main culprit for India’s division.

In one of his facebook posts’ a veteran journalist Satish Mishra has written : Dalai Lama is playing politics. There is no evidence to suggest that Nehru stopped Jinnah from being the prime minister. Mishra adds : There is enough and substantial evidence that the British had decided to partition India for their global strategic interests. Jinnah was the British parter in this objective. He had promised the Britain military alliances and bases in Pakistan when it comes into existence.

He argued: Dalai Lama should check the historical facts first before speaking. Even, otherwise he should refrain from domestic politics.

Meanwhile the Congress leader and former union minister Manish Tiwari has while expressing his concern over the anti Nehru remarks of Dalai Lama said that he is influenced by the BJP government who forgot that it was Jawahar Lal Nehru due to whom he is India so comfortably and gracefully.

In a tweet ManishTiwari said whatever Dalai Lama has said about Nehru are historically just opposite to the facts. Nehru was the prime minister in1959 and it was the year when Dalai lama came to India seeking refuge.

It should not be forgotten that he was the first Indian Prime minister Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru who whole heartedly welcomed Dalai Lama in India who was compelled to flee the then Tibet in an uprising when the Chinese were behind him badly and could have been jailed confronting the tortures. Nehru then visited the 19 year old 14th Dalai Lama at Mussourie in his capacity as Indian prime minister to welcome him with open arms, give him and his desciples refuge in India with full honours, with special hospitability. It was here only that Nehru signed their 17 points demand for comfortable settle and providing all the facilities in India as a respectable guests. India has to annoy the Chinese for supporting the Tibet cause unilaterally and  becoming its target in the 1962 war. But its good that the renowned internationally popular Noble prize recipient Dala Lama realised his mistake fast and apologised publicly thus permanently putting to end this serious controversy that would otherwise had tremendous implications.