NEW DELHI: Central Tibetan Administration president Lobsang Sangay today said the resilience of the Tibetan spirit emanated from the Nalanda tradition of Buddhism that was 2,500 years old and there was no comparison between Communism and Buddhism, as he asserted that his community was “not scared” of China.
“When people ask are you not scared of China – China being so powerful economically, militarily, politically. We say we are not, Communism is 100 years old while Buddhism is 2,500 years old, there is no competition between the two,” Sangay said.
He was speaking at the launch of a cultural festival of Tibet, marking the 60th anniversary of the arrival of the Dalai Lama in India.
Expressing gratitude towards India, the CTA president said the ancient civilization and culture of Tibet that were “almost destroyed” had been preserved and now flourished in India.
Sangay said that the Tibetan community wanted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make In India’ initiative to succeed, as their movement was originally ‘made in India’ with its leaders being born, brought up and educated here.
“Being the original ‘Made in India’, we want ‘Make in India’ to succeed. If it succeeds, the original ‘made in India’ will also succeed. Our success will be your success and your success will be our success.”
The chief guest of the ceremony, former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, said that the relationship of 60 years between Indian and Tibetans have now grown into the feeling of brotherhood.
“We are brothers and sisters now,” she said.
Tibetans have gone through difficult times and India has always endeavored to make them feel at home here, she added. PTI
