Dalai Lama Calls For Prayers Over Indo-Pak Tensions
(AFP | Wellington | May 28, 2002)
Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Tuesday called for resolving Indian-Pakistan tensions by prayer rather than violence. Speaking at a press conference here, he said while a short-term solution to the area's woes might not be apparent, a long-term fix should be the goal.
"I think you need more hard work ... towards understanding one another," the 66-year-old said. The Dalai Lama described India as his second home, but said it should intensify its non-violent stance which may have lessened in recent times. "While you are exporting non-violence you must produce more continuously," he said.
He said India and Pakistan had interdependent economies and the border issue was an important one, but it should not overshadow the people who lived in the region. The repercussions, if the tensions escalated further, could be long-reaching for the thousands of residents of Kashmir. "It's very sad," he said. The Dalai Lama is in New Zealand on a four-day visit.
Friends of Tibet (INDIA),
PO Box 16674, Bombay 400050
www.friendsoftibet.org