Nobel Peace prize to the Dalai Lama acquires a sharp political edge in China

The Dalai Lama in his office in DharamsalaThe scene was solemn and worshipful, the only sound, the rich baritone of the robed figure seated on a colourful throne delivering a sermon. Suddenly, in mid-sentence, the sermon abruptly stopped. The congregation looked up in surprise only to discover the real reason: an insect had crawled onto the lap of the bespectacled man on the throne.With infinite care, he manoeuvred the insect onto his finger, gently blew it into the air and watched it land safely on the floor with a broad smile on his face. Only then did he realise that the audience - many who had trekked hundreds of miles to hear his words of wisdom - was anxiously waiting for him to resume his sermon. "But this was more important than what I had to tell you,'' he exclaimed and immediately burst into loud laughter.That one incident is more illustrative of the man who is worshipped by 6 million people as the 'living Buddha' than any of his philosophical discourses or his prodigious religious writings. In the most serious of situations, he bubbles over with laughter.Interspersed with his teachings on Buddhism, is his homespun philosophy. "If you believe these teachings, put them into practice," he once told an audience, adding, "if not, forget them." Revered by Tibetans as the reincarnation of Chen-Rezi, the God of Mercy, he calls himself "a simple Buddhist monk".That unique mixture of humility and responsibility, preacher and reluctant politician, was nowhere more in evidence than last fortnight when the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize amid a storm of protest from China, the country that invaded Tibet in 1950, forcing Tenzin Gyatso, 54, the 14th Dalai Lama, into exile in India.The Dalai Lama taking a walkAsked for his reaction, his answer was typical of the man. "My case is nothing special," he said, reiterating, "I am just a simple Buddhist monk. Nothing more. Nothing less."Clearly, the Nobel Peace Prize Committee doesn't think so. Nor do the thousands of people across the world who hailed the decision and added to the wild celebration and all-night dancing in Dharamsala, or 'Little Lhasa', the hill resort in Himachal Pradesh that houses the Tibetan government-in-exile.The Dalai Lama himself clearly was not expecting to be so honoured. When the announcement was made, he was in California attending a conference(see interview).But to the world, it was a recognition long overdue.As an apostle of peace and an inspiration to his people - and the international community - the Dalai Lama occupies a unique niche. The Wall Street Journal in an editorial, termed the award a "Nobel for the oppressed".That is precisely what gives this year's award a bold political tint. The reaction from Beijing, terming it "interference in China's internal affairs", aroused speculation that the prize committee - a six-member group of Norwegian statesmen and academics - was making a political statement regarding China's crackdown on the pro-democracy movement.Perhaps emboldened by the award and widespread acclamation, the Dalai Lama also used the occasion to denounce the Chinese leadership in harsher terms than he normally employs. Charging the People's Republic with "practising a form of genocide", he declared: "Tibetans today face the real possibility of elimination as a people and a nation."The Dalai Lama at a religious ceremonyThat uncharacteristic outburst, however, was also a testimonial to the shrewdness and skill with which he has played his other, lesser-known role: that of a political leader to 1.25 lakh exiles, the refugees the world likes to forget.Now, suddenly, the Tibetan question was resurrected on the front pages of the world's press, brought more sharply into focus by the global revulsion against the massacre at Tiananmen Square last June. China's violation of human rights in Tibet, largely ignored by most governments because of China's superpower status, was back as a live international issue.To many, therefore, the recognition afforded to the 14th Dalai Lama, a line of succession that stretches back 600 years, was equally a tribute to his humanity as it was to the skill with which he has negotiated the diplomatic tightrope he has been forced to walk ever since he fled Tibet 30 years ago. Successive Indian governments have unofficially barred him from playing a political role or making any political statements from Indian soil.Yet, such is his standing as a respected world leader - the only true heir to the mantle of the Mahatma who has been his inspiration - that in his own quiet and subtle way, the Dalai Lama has managed to wear his political hat with unobtrusive success.His steadfast stand on nonviolence and the search for "peaceful solutions based on mutual respect" has harnessed the militant and restive Tibetan youth who would like him to play a more activist role on the Tibetan question.But his adroit combination of western politicking and serene eastern mysticism has allowed his voice to be more forcefully heard. In the last two years, the Dalai Lama has been touring world capitals, lobbying the US Congress for his 'Peace Zone' plan or pressing for the compromise solution he enunciated at the European Parliament in Strasbourg in 1987 - in exchange for ultimate Chinese sovereignty over Tibet and control of defence and foreign policy, the region would be granted internal autonomy.Dalai Lama addressing a congregationThus, to the majority of Tibetans and the worldwide followers of the Buddhist faith (including luminaries like Hollywood actor Richard Gere), the Dalai Lama has, in the circumstances, fulfilled his standing as "Protector of the Land of Snows", keeping alive the spirit of his ancient theocracy in Dharamsala where thousands of Buddhists converge to pay him homage and cherish his homilies.It is here, in Dharamsala, among his own people and sustained by the spirituality which surrounds him, that Tenzin Gyatso reveals his real self, a man whose unassuming humanity and shrewd mind have coalesced to produce a truly extraordinary human being. Down to earth yet quixotic, he is a leader who sustains his mission in life with a bubbling vitality and self-deprecatory humour.Last year, reminiscing about his early life in Tibet, he told INDIA TODAY: "In Tibet, whenever I saw farmers taking herds of sheep or yaks to the butcher, I would send my representative to buy the animals and send them to a special farm where they could live for the rest of their lives. I had bought more than 20,000 animals like this."And then that frothy humour surfaces: "Here, being a poor refugee, the best thing I can do is to close my eyes and recite 'mani' (prayers) for them. Don't you think 'mani' is more effective than money?" He spends his day reading, writing or in meditation. In between, he indulges in his favourite hobbies, gardening and gadgetry.To his people, he may be the absolute spiritual and temporal head of Tibet. But at heart, he has remained a humble if charismatic Buddhist monk who loves laughter and the rustic simplicity of his home in exile. Even when flying abroad on his frequent diplomatic missions, he prefers to fly economy class, despite the fact that he is afforded the status of a head of state.Had China's ruthless suppression of the Tibetan uprising in March 1959 not taken place, the modern world would perhaps have seen a different Dalai Lama enjoying the powers due to a monarch, a pope, a dictator and a president, as his predecessors once did.people paying their respectsThe Dalai Lama's innate humility is testimony to his humble origins. Born in a cowshed in the obscure farming village of Takster 54 years ago, Tenzin Gyatso was two years old when a party of monks arrived at his door led by Kewts and Rinpoche, a senior lama of Lhasa's Sera Monastry.They were a search party, decreed by Tibetan tradition, to find a successor to the 13th Dalai Lama who had died in 1933. They had been led there by a series of auspicious signs and symbols.The two-year-old boy was shown an array of objects from which he unerringly identified the late Dalai Lama's eating bowl, spectacles, walking stick and other personal items. He also displayed the physical characteristics of a Dalai Lama.Taken in procession to Lhasa, he was installed in Potala Palace to undertake an 18-year course in metaphysics. In February 1940, he was installed on the Dalai Lama's Lion Throne. Though he remained a playful little boy with a mischievous streak, by the age of seven he was leading prayers before 2,000 monks. At the age of 15, he was plunged into international politics when Chinese forces invaded Tibet and he went to Beijing to negotiate with Mao Zedong. In 1959, disguised as a soldier, he travelled across the mountains of his beloved homeland to exile in India.Even now, his self-deprecating attitude stands as a testament to his will and his inner strength. "Thanks to China, I am the first Dalai Lama to be interviewed by BBC or the world media," he chuckles, adding in a more sober vein, "but this is the darkest and the most crucial phase in the history of Tibet. That is why the present Dalai Lama has become the most needed, the most useful and the saddest Dalai Lama." And none more deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize.Published By: AtMigration Published On: Oct 31, 1989 00:00 IST--- ENDS ---

Download App

Get 37% off on an annual Print +Digital subscription of India Today Magazine

Nobel Peace prize to the Dalai Lama acquires a sharp political edge in China

The Nobel Peace prize awarded to the Dalai Lama is an honour long overdue. But in the context of China, it has also acquired a sharp political edge.

PUBLICATIONS

TELEVISION

EVENTS

RADIO

GAMING

USEFUL LINKS

PRINTING

WELFARE

DISTRIBUTION

SYNDICATIONS

WEBSITES

EDUCATION