I Am A Son of India, Dalai Lama Says At Gandhian Event

New Delhi, India, 22 November 2009 (www.phayul.com) 2 - His Holiness the Dalai Lama today joined the closing day of the 'Hind Swaraj Centenary Commemoration International Conference' that began on November 19 at Surajkund near the Indian capital.

The 74 year old Tibetan leader and Nobel laureate was presented with an Action Plan drawn up to create 'Global Gandhian Movement for Swaraj' with the international network of nonviolent activists, thinkers, academics and social activists. One of the main action plans was to 'train one hundred youth in the Gandhian practice of nonviolence'. The action aims to invite activists from conflicts zones in various parts of the world.

His Holiness was also formally requested to lead the Global Gandhian Movement. However the Tibetan leader said, 'You are the leader, I am only a chela, a student of India. You are the boss,' pointing at senior Gandhians in the audience. Accepting the request His Holiness lauded the efforts made by the Gandhians and said, 'yes, yes, I am very very much happy, you are doing such a good work."

More than a hundred Gandhians, social activists, academics, thinkers, writers, social leaders from around India and 18 different countries listened to His Holiness as he spoke of India in great respect and admiration. "India is the land of religious harmony, so many different communities live together here, practicing such diverse religious traditions. My body is Tibet, but my mind is India," His Holiness said. Pointing at his bald head, he said , "Tibetan Buddhist culture is from India. I am a son of India".

'India has exported nonviolence so much that there is shortage today in India, like how Buddhism has been exported to countries like Burma, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Japan, Korea, China and Tibet, today there is hardly any Buddhism left in India,' His Holiness pointed out.

Organizer Rajiv Vora of Swaraj Peeth said, 'reviewing our experiences of nonviolence of past decades on the basis of our understanding of Hind Swaraj, creating an action plan to walk on the path of Swaraj'.

Translated into several Indian and foreign languages, Mahatma Gandhi's 'Hind Swaraj' today celebrates its 100th birthday. Reminding the gathering of such similar events of commemorations happening all over India, chairperson of the organizing committee Dr Niru Vora said, 'while we celebrate this day, we reflect upon the blessings of the book and the rich legacy Gandhi left behind for us'.

His Holiness also launched the second Tibetan translation of Hind Swaraj. The first translation was published by Amnye Machen Tibetan research centre.

Prof. UR Annanthamurty and Thailand's Buddhist leader and social activist Ajarn Sulak Sivaraksa shared the stage with the exiled Tibetan leader.