Nepal challenge for Dalai Lama on his 76th birthday
Nepal’s age old relationship with Buddhism, one of the world’s oldest faiths, never needed a mention. But now the land of Buddha has started acting against its own Buddhist people who believe in the Dalai Lama as a living Buddha. Gautam Buddha was born in Shakya kingdom which lies in the present day Rupandehi district in the Lumbini zone of Nepal. Ironically, this is happening on the behest of another primarily Buddhist country, China.
(Pic Courtes: TPI)
Tibet Post International (TPI) reported on Monday that Tibetans are being arrested in Kathmandu, the Nepalese capital, to prevent public celebrations on the birthday of Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama. HH will be 76 years old on July 6, 2011. According to TPI 39 Tibetans were arrested from the Boudha region of Capital Kathmandu on Sunday. 47 Tibetans are said to be in detention, which includes 12 Tibetans who were detained on June the 12th to honor their solidarity with Tibet and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. According to reports riot police have been spread across the city to prevent Tibetans from accessing celebration sites.
A Sad Development
It’s sad that a country where Lord Buddha was born is banning birthday celebration of the Dalai Lama, one of Buddhism’s most revered preachers of contemporary times. It’s particularly frustrating since a significant number of people practice Buddhism in Nepal. According to Central Bureau of Statistics some 10.74 % of Nepal’s population practice Buddhism, consisting mainly of groups of Tibeto-Burman origin.
The major reason being cited for this dramatic turn of attitude in a country where Tibetan Buddhism continues to be one of the most widely practised form of Buddhism since hundreds of years is the mounting pressure from Beijing. Of late China has developed a deep interest in Nepal, more due to its renewed interest to check India’s ‘natural’ ties than the economic benefits it would get out of it.
A few weeks ago Nepal TV banned the airing of Noble Wisdom because the programme included preachings of HH the Dalai Lama. Now this has happened. There have been regular reports of increasing harassment of Tibetans in Nepal.
HH the Dalai Lama at Dharamshala
Lessons for India
Riding on the back of its phenomenal rise to being world’s second largest economy China has been offering huge aid packages to Nepal. The Tibet Post reported that the Nepalese leaders in Kathmandu are actually coordinating crackdowns in different regions of Nepal especially against the Tibetan refugee community.
Nepal has no history of doing anything like this ever before till recent times. It is for the first time that an official disruption has been sanctioned on the annual, sacred event. Except in China and now Nepal, which is a constitutional democracy, there is probably no other country in the world where photographs of the Karmapa and the Dalai Lama are banned.
Believers of the Dalai Lama have a soft corner of India because of India’s continued hospitality for HH the Dalai Lama. Nepal’s handling of the issue can be the beginning of an uneasy trend i.e. “to what extent can Nepal go to curb India’s influence?” Can Nepal think of doing a similar treatment of madheshis (people living in the plains) who are overwhelmingly pro-India? And if Nepal ever starts doing what it is doing to Tibetans today, which might be assumed to be the next step, what options do we have?
Nepal and HH the Dalai Lama
Nepal is going beyond the limitations of what a fair and friendly relations among two sovereign state would demand from each other. By suppressing Tibetans and other Buddhist minorities, many of whom are Nepalese, Nepal is violating universally settled norms of how a state should treat its refugees. Nepal is also going against the spirit of its own democracy by acting against Buddhist people’s right to religious freedom.
To ban Tibetan national flag, Tibetan anthem and celebration of birth anniversary and photographs of internationally acknowledged religious leaders tantamount to a rule of intolerance and anarchy. Nepal’s policy on even peaceful anti-Chinese protests is a breach of international human rights and free speech and is shameful of a democracy.
Nepal is home to around 20,000 Tibetan exiles. Nepal must introspect if it is willing to go beyond and make its other minorities and madheshis feel insecure by acting irresponsibly on the behest of China. For His Holiness the Dalai Lama, it’s another loss in his struggle for a Tibetan Homeland.
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Lhamu Tsering
July 5, 2011 at 5:12 pm
It is such a sad sad news to read and hear about that tibetans are not left to peace even in Nepal. This place, this land thought to be a place of peace is now slowly turning into a place of terror. I just hope and wish and pray that, that peace the early tibetan refugees in Nepal first saw and felt in Nepal returns…
david
July 5, 2011 at 6:39 pm
Yes..i am too totally shocked by Nepal treacherous behaviour on the orders of China…Nepal that once was thought to be such a peace and spiritually inspiring land is gonig down the soulless road…
I really hope that Nepal gets hold of itself and come back to be a benevolent land……And i do pray for the Tjbetans to regain their freedom and homeland…..
Nepali Chhoro
July 5, 2011 at 7:33 pm
It is obscene, it is sad, it is shameless. Nepal’s leaders are maggots. they are spineless. and they are greedy, corrupt, immoral, and criminal. It is a shame indeed. I am so sorry for the actions of these so called national leaders. They DO NOT reflect the feelings of the vast majority of the population. We reject the brutal regime of China. We believe in kindness and love and forgiveness as held in Buddhism. Nepali politcians and government: SHAME ON YOU.
Daniel R.
July 5, 2011 at 10:40 pm
It is unfortunate that the current corrupt govt. of Nepal has sold its soul to the autocratic, Godless communist govt. of China with glitters of gold coins tossed to them as hungry dogs. However, Nepal must not forget that as a country which is smaller than Tibet in size is also very vulnerable for the same fate of becoming autonomous region of China if they don’t shape up politically, socially, and economically. Nepal must be conscious of their own situation and instead of becoming puppets of China or India; they should seek total self-reliance and socio-economic freedom from China as well as India. Otherwise, with the same care-free and decades of political stalemates and wrangling Nepal is not far behind in falling apart and becoming autonomous-region or additional states of one of the two Asian giants. Harassing Tibetans to please China is Nepalese govt. weakness and cowardly act. Hence, Nepal must show some courage to face these giants in present and future to come and prove that Nepal is an independent country and not a puppet.
dango
July 5, 2011 at 11:46 pm
Poor Nepal is doing these things cause china is giving them US $ 3 billions to develop the lumbini region.But Nepal shouldn’t do such a disgusting thing just for money. Comon Nepal where is your humanity, independency and democracy. Don’t make a rule from other country try to make your own. If you continue such things to happen, one day you will be helpless to protect your own people.
Dirgha Raj Prasai
July 6, 2011 at 12:38 am
Dear All !
We regard the dedication of spiritual leader-Dalai Lama on Buddhism. But, almost two years ago the Chinese Govt. have opened the ‘World Buddhist Forum in Tibet. I think this will be the great chance for Buddhists as well as the spiritual great Buddhist-leader Dalai Lama to plead the Buddhist philosophy.We know- Chinese communist leader never surrender the Free-Tibet slogan. so, I request Dalai Lama to go China as a strong spiritual leader to establish Buddha’s regime in Tibet. Then, all the people in the world support His contribution. We should have to convince the reality of Buddhism to the Communist regime. ‘Where there is a will, there is a way.’
The Chinese never support the suicidal path. The reality is that some foreigners are trying to destroy Nepal by damaging and ruining the monarchy through the Maoist (anarchists) and the traitors of Nepali congress (so called democracy) & UML(Communist) parties and then infiltrate the same virus to Tibet ( for their personal fulfillment) by increasing the Free Tibet activities to separate Tibet from China. They want to abolish the Hindu & Buddha’s identities. So, please, don’t follow the path of CIA .
Nepal is the pious country in the lapse of the Himalayas, which is beautiful, quiet, the birth place of Buddha and origin of Hinduism. Besides being the country of Everest it is equally popular with its diverse cultural values. This is the land where civilization began and is also known as the country of ‘SANGRILA.’ Nepal is as holy place to Hindus & Buddhists, as Mecca for Muslims and Jerusalem to Jews and Christians.
Nepal is a country sandwiched between China and India. Because of its geo-political situation, Nepal’s sovereignty has always been very sensitive. Nepal is rich culturally and naturally. Our successful foreign policy would be to maintain our culture, traditions and indigenous identities to balance between China and India with monarchy. So, there must be reinstated the Monarchy in Nepal. Actually, Nepal is a paradise which provides calmness and rejuvenation to the mind. This lovely place is also said as the potpourri of ethnicity and has many cultural landscapes. So, I request Dalai Lama to be the Hero of Buddha religion in this Zone. Then, Dalai Lama will free for coming & going in Lumbani (the birth place of Buddha), Nepal.
We know, there is only the interest of America to destroy China carrying Dalai Lama on their shoulder. Nepalese people also always regard the strong unity of China including Tibet. The Lord Pashupathinath, Shoyambhunath of Nepal is the symbols of Hindus & Buddha’s. Nepal is a Birth Land of Buddha. Lumbini is a pious land for Hindus & Buddhists. But, the position is very danger from the Nepalese traitors who are in regime. They are going to destroy the unity between Hindu & Buddhas. We, all the Nepalese people hate such notorious activities of the foreigners. So, to save the identities of Buddha’s philosophy and traditions, Dalai Lama is necessary to live in Tibet, permanently. So, we Nepalese people request– Dalai Lama should return- ‘Tibet’.
Long Live Buddhism in Nepal, China and in all over the world !
Thank you.
Dirgha Raj Prasai
Kathmandu.
Email:
Party Peedit
July 6, 2011 at 1:55 am
Interesting exchange but sadly a very misinformed one. Get the facts right. While Nepali was a Hindu Kingdom, Tibetans were free to come and live (and prosper) in Nepal, or move on to Dharmashala. When India and the Western countries ganged up to remove the monarchy (with the help of their doormats, Manmohan Sonia combine, and the “up for sale” corrupt party politicians in Nepal, including the Maoists that India trained in Chakrata and kept safe in Noida) in the hope of getting a more pliant government in Nepal kow-towing to their interests, it backfired. What they got instead was a Nepal ruled by corrupt party leaders ready to sell themselves to the highest bidder (China, sure it has the money in gadzillions!), and an atheistic Nepal in the garb of pseudo-secularism that does not give a hoot about religious values, Buddhist or Hindu. Until the “I love Tibet” crowd first realizes how all this Indo-Western nefarious doings have angered the patriotic Nepalis, mere ranting will get no one anywhere.
saroj lama
September 4, 2011 at 12:44 pm
this is not a true news bcz i have a picture of dalai lama.u can buy picture of dalai lama in nepal.u can find easily the picture of dalai lama.nepal government band only those activities which are non-voilence.
pavitra
May 15, 2012 at 12:29 am
well even i have heard nothing against Dalai lama…in nepal…everything must be over exagerrated ….
RAJA CHHETRI
July 14, 2012 at 2:57 pm
This isn’t a actual scenario that have mentioned above about condition of Tibetans in Nepal. we always respect Buddhism and its followers. but recent comment by Dali Lama about the birthplace of Lord Buddha surely influence his downfall here in Nepal.