Dalai Lama: 'Religious harmony in India an example for conflict-torn Syria & Afghanistan'

Amid the uproar over the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB), the spiritual Tibetan leader, Dalai Lama on December 11 said, "India should be playing an active role in promoting religious harmony and serve as an example to other conflict-torn countries like Syria and Afghanistan." The 14th Dalai Lama was delivering a speech on 'The relevance of Ancient Nalanda Teachings in our Modern Times' at the Goa University. 

Dalai Lama lauds India

The spiritual Tibetan leader, during the interactive session, lauded India for being home to different religions. According to him, "India has different homegrown religions." He further said that in India, violence between Sunni and Shia sects of Islam was unheard of, unlike Afghanistan and Syria where "Sunni and Shia killing each other".

Read: WATCH: Smoke bomb used amid standoff between Police & CAB protesters at Assam Secretariat

He further said, "India has the advantage of being a land where several religions co-existed." He further added, "From childhood, the Indian mind is aware of the presence of many religions. So a concept of several religions, several truths is there. Problems prevails in isolated countries and some Muslim countries where there is only one truth, one religion." 

Read: US Cong commends Dalai Lama for his commitment to global peace

About CAB

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. Through this bill, Indian citizenship will be provided to the members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from the three countries to India till December 31, 2014, to put an end to them being treated as illegal immigrants in the country. The Bill was passed by the Lower House of the Parliament earlier this year but lapsed with the term of the previous Lok Sabha during the first term of the PM Narendra Modi government in the Centre. 

The CAB was passed on Monday, December 9, with a majority of 311 votes against 80 votes in Lok Sabha where 391 members were present and voting. The political debate over the bill is on-going in the Rajya Sabha. 

Read: Cong leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury calls CAB 'divisive', says it will 'break India'

Read: US: UN, other international bodies should take up Dalai Lama succession issue

(WITH AGENCY INPUTS)