Dalai Lama says India respects all religions, asks youths to maintain secular tradition

Amid the tension with China, Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama on Wednesday said India respected all religions and asked the youth to maintain the country's thousand-year-old secular tradition.

The spiritual leader also emphasised on making the world a peaceful place as he spoke about the Indian concept of 'karuna' (compassion) and 'ahimsa' (non-violence) and asked people to preserve the same.

While delivering a speech at an event in Gurugram, the Tibetan leader said India and China were the most populated countries.

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"In recent decades, (there has been) too much ups and downs. India (is a) democracy, (it has) religious freedom. India respects all religions. That is India's tradition, that is very good," he added.

He also asked young Indians to keep the country's thousand-year-old secular tradition.

Stressing on the need for a peaceful planet, the Dalai Lama said human brains were being used for weapons to destroy neighbours.

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"Human brains (are being) used for weapons, how to kill and how to destroy your neighbours. That is totally wrong.

"...look at the world. Aggression, atrocity, violence enough. So many people (are being) killed and very keen to create nuclear weapons. These are old thinkings," he added.

The Tibetan leader went on to add, "We all (are the) same human beings. We all have to live together happily and without any violence. Peace will not come from the sky and violence will not come from the sky. (It) all depends on us."

He also stressed on the need to build a happy and peaceful society.

"In our minds, we say this nation, that nation, this religion, that religion, make differences that cause fighting.

"Now that thinking is outdated... we should truly think (about) a peaceful world without a weapon -- a genuine peaceful world -- so and so disagreements through talks can be solved. Now using weapons, I think it should end," he said as he emphasised on human compassion and a sense of oneness.

"We have to live together. So weapons, (there should be) no use. We should create a peaceful world," he added.

The Dalai Lama's comments come in the backdrop of a clash between Indian and Chinese troops along the Line of Actual Control in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh on December 9. The clash had resulted in "minor injuries to a few personnel from both sides", the Indian Army had said on December 12.