DHARAMSHALA: Himachal Pradesh Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar felicitated with the Gandhi Mandela Award to Noble Laurate, His Holiness the Dalai Lama here today.
The ceremony was organized by Gandhi Mandela Foundation (GMF) in a historic ceremony held at Thekchen, Mcleod Ganj here on Saturday.
Gandhi Mandela Foundation has been promoting the values and ideals of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela in the interest of global peace and freedom.
The Award serves to recognize the Global leaders who inspire citizens for peace, unity and freedom.
On the occasion, the Dalai Lama said that non-violence and compassion were essential for world peace and both these principles have been ingrained in Indian culture for thousands of years.
"No problem can be solved by war, but through dialogue and peace", he said. "For world peace we have to adopt non-violence and compassion. Both these principles are the guiding force of existence", the Dalai Lama said.
He thanked the Foundation for bestowing the Gandhi Mandela Award to him.
Arlekar said that His Holiness the Dalai Lama is perhaps the most deserving person in the world today for this award. He is a universal ambassador of peace and his honor is to carry forward Indian culture and ideas.
Arlekar said the Dalai Lama has given two principles, non-violence and compassion, which were required in today's time as it was more effective than the power of the army.
He said that our culture has a sense of goodwill, compassion and love towards others and it has been running for thousands of years, which the Dalai Lama has done the work of taking forward.
Congratulating the Gandhi Mandela Foundation, Governor said after Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama Ji has the potential to become a world citizen as he was not a person bound by borders.
Earlier, Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Jury Chairman & Former Chief Justice of India said that spiritual leader Dalai Lama is the saviour of the large community and the younger generation must follow the teachings of Dalai Lama.
He said he is a great leader and the foundation felt honoured to choose him for the Gandhi Mandela Award. He came for the first time in Kangra. It is very beautiful, he added.
Justice Gyan Sudha Misra, Jury Vice-Chairman & Former Supreme Court Judge said that His Holiness showed the path of peace to the whole world.
"We are facing the unrest in the world but, at that time Dalai Lama ji preaches peace which tells us that peace is not outdated but it finds the way out", she said.
National President, GMF Shyam Jaju proposed a vote of thanks. Adv. Nandan Jha, Secretary General, GMF welcomed the Governor on the occasion.
