Dalai Lama Visits Tawang Monastery in Arunachal Pradesh India

[Nagarjuna]

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who arrived in Arunachal
Pradesh on Sunday to a rousing reception by hundreds of monks,
rejected Chinese claims that he was spearheading a separatist movement
and said his visit to the northeastern state was non-political.

"It is quite usual for China to step up campaign against me wherever I
go. It is totally baseless on the part of the Chinese Communist
government to say that I am encouraging a separatist movement," the
Dalai Lama told journalists at the Tawang monastery after inaugurating
a museum.

The spiritual leader of the Tibetans, who has thousands of followers
around the world arrived at this picture-pretty town perched at an
altitude of more than 11,000 feet, close Chinese border, on a weeklong
visit."My visit to Tawang is non-political and aimed at promoting
universal brotherhood and nothing else," he stressed. "I am very happy
to be here in Tawang as there are lots of emotions involved. When I
escaped from China in 1959, I was mentally and physically very weak as
I was down with dysentery," he said.

It was through Tawang, a revered seat of Buddhism, that the Dalai Lama
escaped the Chinese to enter India where he set up base in Dharamsala
in Himachal Pradesh. Tawang is also spiritually important for the
Tibetans as the sixth Dalai Lama was born in the 17th century at the
Urgelling Monastery near here.

"The Chinese did not pursue us in 1959 but when I reached India, they
started speaking against me. I am always surprised (by Chinese
reactions)," the Dalai Lama said. "Tibetan Buddhism and culture is
passing through a very difficult period. But there is a hope of the
religion and culture surviving in this free area, particularly in
India. So there is lot of responsibility for people here and in south
India to keep the flag flying," he added. Thousands of locals in
traditional costumes and monks attired in their maroon robes, waiting
on either side of the eight-kilometre road leading from the helipad to
the Tawang monastery, waved at a beaming Dalai Lama as his motorcade
snaked through the hilly terrain.

The highly revered spiritual leader looked jovial as he was seen
waving back at the crowd.At the monastery, about 800 monks, including
scores of child monks, gave the Dalai Lama a religious welcome amid
chants of Buddhist hymns as a strong smell of burning incense wafted
through the air.Giant gongs were played by monks, while monastery
priests prostrated as the Dalai Lama alighted from the vehicle.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and other high priests
then led the spiritual leader inside the monastery.

Indian and Tibetan prayer flags fluttered, while banners and life-size
posters of the Dalai Lama adorned the streets of the Tawang, home to
about 35,000 people."It was a lifetime experience to have seen the
Dalai Lama from so close. He waved back at us and I consider this to
be a blessing for me and the people here," an excited child monk who
identified himself as Sherbu said.The Dalai Lama will hold a prayer
session at a school playground near the monastery Monday. He would
then visit the adjoining town of Bomdilla and Dirang November 12,
before leaving for state capital Itanagar November 14. The visit ends
November 15.China has raked up a controversy by asking India not to
allow the Tibetan spiritual leader to visit Arunachal Pradesh, as it
lays claim on the territory.

India and China fought a border war in 1962, with Chinese troops
advancing deep into Arunachal Pradesh and inflicting heavy casualties
on Indian troops. China has never recognised the 1914 McMahon Line
agreed between the British and the then Tibetan rulers and claims
90,000 sq km of territory, that includes nearly all of Arunachal
Pradesh.A total of 140,000 Tibetans live in exile -- over 100,000 of
them in India. Over six million Tibetans live in Tibet.