'We enjoy freedom living in India,' says Dalai Lama
Asked about freedom of Tibet, Dalai Lama recalled that the former PM Nehru had advised him that the UN cannot do much.
Una: Tibetan leader in exile, Dalai Lama on Sunday said he "enjoys freedom by living in India".
"We already enjoy freedom living in India for over sixty years. In one way I'm a refugee but I enjoy India's freedom," he said here.
Asked about freedom of Tibet, Dalai Lama recalled that the former Prime Minister Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru had advised him that the UN cannot do much.
"Tibetan freedom...since 1974...before that, we appealed to the UN. Pandit Nehru advised that the United Nations cannot do much. Sooner or later, much better to approach the Chinese and talk to them," he said.
"In '74, we decided to not seek independence. Try to remain...while we remain within the People's Republic of China, we should have certain rights for the preservation of our own culture," he added.
In a witty remark, the Tibetan leader said they can teach the Chinese how to practice democracy.
"Since 2001, I completely retired. The elected political leadership carry all these responsibilities. I think eventually we can teach Chinese how to practice democracy," he said.
On October 6, it was reported that the Tibetan government-in-exile had passed a resolution reaffirming that the successor of Dalai Lama will be chosen by the spiritual leader himself and no nation has locus standi on the issue.