Congress recalls special connection with the Dalai Lama

Congress on Monday recalled the special connect the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had with the Dalai Lama as the Tibetan spiritual leader turned 85.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh recalled the four hours Nehru spent with the Dalai Lama on April 24, 1959 at Mussorie, where the spiritual leader was residing after fleeing Tibet following Chinese aggression.

Ramesh also shared a verbatim record of the four-hour discussion Nehru had with the Dalai Lama which led to the latter setting up base in India.

During the discussion, Nehru is seen advising the Dalai Lama to stress on peace and stopping of fighting and killing in Tibet to keep the international focus on the Chinese supression of Tibetans.

“P.M. deprecated the taking up of an attitude like ‘we must have independence or nothing else.’ This would not help, nor would the cursing of China help,” according to the account of the meeting published in the book ‘Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru’.

“The Dalai Lama is a youthful 85 today. We wish that he continues to inspire the world for many more years,” Ramesh said,

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor also greeted the Dalai Lama hailing him as the true heir of Gandhian values, especially ahimsa.