'India should take more active role in promoting world peace'

New Delhi, Mar 6 (PTI) Describing India as the "guru"
and Tibetans as "chelas", Buddhist spiritual leader the Dalai
Lama Friday said India should take "a more active role" in
promoting religious harmony and peace in the world.

The Dalai Lama hailed Indian secularism, saying it is
not based on the rejection of any religion rather it focuses
on respect for all religions.

"Rest of the countries whether they are Muslim or
Christian or otherwise, are not comfortable with the concept
of secularism, so I think India has a greater choice of
promoting human values," he said.

The spiritual leader said he was a messenger of India and
would always take Indian values across the world. "You are the
Guru (teacher) and we are the chela (disciple)", he quipped.

"India must take a more active role in promoting peace
and religious harmony in the new world, which is heavily
interdependent," he added.

"You (India) should be active," he said adding the Indian
media has a very important role to play in this.

Harping on the importance of environmental issues, he
said, "one or two powerful nations alone cannot solve the
problem on their own".

On the increasing violence in the world, the Dalai Lama
said technical prowess and smart brains which are guided by
hatred are responsible for the problem.

Human beings should be guided by compassion and humanity,
he added. (MORE) PTI SPC
AM