Chandragiri, Orissa, India, 11 January 2010 (By Nageshwar Patnaik, The Economic Times) - Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Monday advised the Maoists to shun violence and solve all problems through non-violent means.
| Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama waves near the Rigon Thupten Mindrolling monastery, in Chandragiri, about 300 kilometers (186 miles) from Bhubaneswar, India, on Monday, 11 January 2010. (Associated Press) |
“Maoists should abjure violence and repose faith in age-old Indian tradition of ahimsa (non-violence). We must find solutions to all problems through ahimsa, dialogue and mutual respect,” he said.
The spiritual leader, however, attributed social and economic discrimination and abject poverty in some parts of the country to the growing Maoist violence. He sought the government to ensure development of the backward and neglected areas by spreading education and health among the people there.
He also dwelt upon the growing economic disparities between urban and rural areas and called for bridging the gap by focusing on development of rural areas.
“India must see that development is not confined only to a few cities. It should not be like that some areas thrive and other areas remain backward,” he observed.
| Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama talks to the children of the Central School for Tibetan, in Chandragiri, about 300 kilometers (186 miles) from Bhubaneswar, India, on Monday, 11 January 2010. (Associated Press) |
People cutting across religion, caste and creed stood on both sides of the road from the helipad to the Tibetan settlement at Chandragiri to greet him.
Heavy security arrangements have been made at Chandragiri, known as the Maoist bastion, to make his visit incident-free. Ten platoons of elite security force- special operation group and Orissa state armed police have been deployed in the area to avoid any eventuality.
Apart from unveiling South Asia’s biggest Buddhist monastery at Jirang in Chandragiri, the spiritual exponent is also slated to attend a series of programmes there. He is schedule to address a seminar on history of Buddhism here on January 14 before winding up his Orissa tour.