I am free to move in any part of the country: Dalai Lama

Inculcating a sense of freedom and unity among the Arunachalees, Tibetan Buddhist leader the Dalai Lama today said Arunachal is an integral part of India and that he is free to move in any part of his adopted country.

''Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India and I am free to move anywhere in this country,'' the Dalai Lama told reporters while entering the beautifully decoroted Tawang Monastery here.

''Everytime I am in India, there is usually a protest from China.

Their protest is baseless. China is shifting views on me. Sometimes they call me separatist and sometimes they invite me,'' he added.

The spiritual leader reached Arunachal today and is slated to stay till November 12 to spread and promote religious harmony.

''My visit to Tawang is purely apolitical. It's purely religious.

My main aim is to promote religious harmony,'' he clarified.

Urging people to find peace and happiness within oneself, the Buddhist leader said, ''The main source of peace and happiness is within ourselves. Money is important. But the ultimate source of peace and happiness is within ourselves. I refer to it as human value which is universal and helps in promoting religious harmony.'' Recollecting his earlier visit, he said, ''I am very happy and emotional because when I crossed this border from Tibet in 1959 I was physically weak and with mental stress and anxiety. I had a feeling of hopelessness. '' But then on the border, I met the then External Affairs Minister and I got a feeling of reunion and safety. Now, I am very happy to be here again,'' he said.

The Dalai Lama would also preach sermons and plant trees at the Yidgha Coezin ground during his stay at the district headquarters.

Earlier, the Dalai Lama visited Arunachal Pradesh on three occasions during 1983, 1997 and 2003. However, his visit to Tawang last year was cancelled due to reasons best known to the political establishment.

The district bordering China is happy to host Dalai Lama for the fourth time as it proudly recollects the incident when His Holiness made the great escape from Tibet to India.

-- (UNI) -- 08CA19.xml

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