Continue on next page

THEDAILY

VOICE OF SRINAGAR

SRINAGAR, SUNDAY, 24 SHABAN 1433 AH ; 15 JULY 2012

Email:-editorvosgr@gmail.com

NEWS

Peace is rooting gradually, days of desperation vanishing: Omar

Dalai Lama stresses on harmonious society, inculcation of moral values in students

            SRINAGAR, JULY 14 – Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah today said that State has passed through a period of darkness of disturbance. He said that peace is rooting gradually and days of desperation vanishing.

            “After witnessing a dark period of 22 years we are coming out of it gradually towards the peace and development”, he said adding that every section of the society had to bear the brunt of disturbance in one or the other way.

            Addressing the public reception function organized by the Tibetan community to honour Buddhist religious leader Dalai Lama at Tibetan High School here, the Chief Minister said that harmony in which Tibetan and Kashmiri are living here for last 50 years denotes the characteristic and positivity of the people.

            Omar said that Tibetan School enrols both Kashmiri and Tibetan students and the teachers in the school are from both the communities. “This symbolizes the traditional brotherhood and cultural harmony”, he added and emphasized the need for its further strengthening.

            Welcoming Dalai Lama in the State, the Chief Minister said that Dalai Lama’s visit to Srinagar after a gap of 24 years is a great occasion. “You are not only our respected guest but a revered religious personality”, he told Dalai Lama and sought his good wishes for the State and the people for peace, development and progress.

            The Chief Minister announced a bus for the Tibetan School and said that government would provide all possible help to the school to flourish and produce students of academic excellence and high moral values.

            In his speech, the revered Buddhist Monk 14^th Dalai Lama emphasized the need of introducing value based education in schools to create healthy and harmonious society. He said that material and money aspects should not be the goal of education. “Education should nurture and groom young children in the best mould decorated with all values of human dignity, compassion and togetherness”, he said and emphasized the need of making moral and secular education compulsory in the curriculum.

            Calling for creating a harmonious society where mutual brotherhood, tolerance and care for each other will rule the roast, Dalai Lama said that man is a social animal and his intelligence should always guide him in the life process. He said anger and negative feelings should never be allowed to conquer the intelligence and commonsense of human beings gifted to them by the God. “You should not get your life process and day to day activities disturbed by negative feelings, jealousy and anger”, he said adding that animals may nurture such feelings but human beings are gifted with intelligence and they can analyse and make difference between good and bad, negative and positive.

            Dalai Lama said that circumstance may compel to take counter measures but these should be without anger, hatred and negativity. He added that this attitude possesses more mass and is more effective to obtain long term and short term benefits for the society and human beings. He said that humans have the ability to control destructive feelings and anger and they should utilize their intelligence to suppress and check these feelings which are detrimental both to the human beings and the society.

            Dalai Lama lauded the harmony prevailing between the Tibetan and Kashmiri communities and said that both are living in harmony and amity. He expressed the hope that the relations between the two will get further strengthened and they will jointly contribute for the development of the State.

            Recalling his close relation with Sher-i-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, Dalai Lama said that he has similar kind of relations with Dr. Farooq Abdullah and now with young and dynamic Chief Minister of the State, Omar Abdullah.

            He wished peace, prosperity and well beings to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Dalai Lama started his speech in Tibetan language and then expressed his viewpoints and feelings in English. He congratulated school management and the Principal for running the school successfully. He said that he would extend all possible help to the school for its further development.

            Minister for Tourism, Nawang Rigzin Jora, in his address welcomed Dalai Lama and said that Tibetan community were looking for this visit of the Holy Monk for a long time. He said that Dalai Lama symbolizes peace and human dignity and works for its propagation throughout the world.

            Chairman Managing Committee and Principal of the school also spoke on the occasion and welcomed Dalai Lama and Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah. They recalled the support and help rendered by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah to the Tibetan community here.

            Minister of State for Tourism, Nasir Aslam Wani, Speaker of Tibetan Parliament in Exile, MLA Zadibal, Peer Afaq Ahmad, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Dr. Masood Samon, Commissioner SMC, Dr. G. N. Qasba and various other senior officers were present on the occasion.

            The function began with recitation of verses from Holy Quran and Natiya Sharief by the students of the Tibetan School. They also presented programmes both in Kashmiri and Tibetan languages.

Dalai Lama meets Governor 

            SRINAGAR, JULY 14 – His Holiness Dalai Lama met Mr. N. N. Vohra, Governor Jammu and Kashmir, at Raj Bhavan here today.

            On arrival at the Raj Bhavan, the Dalai Lama was received by the Governor and Mrs. Usha Vohra, First Lady. The Governor presented a shawl to the Dalai Lama and the First Lady greeted him with a Khatak.   

          The Governor recalled the opportunity he had enjoyed of meeting His Holiness in 1959 at Mussoorie, when he was under training at the IAS School and later when he was serving as the Union Home Secretary. The Governor and His Holiness discussed several matters of high significance for India’s growth and future role in world affairs.    

          The Dalai Lama gave two books to the Governor and wished him success in bringing peace and progress in the State.

          Among others, Mr. Nawang Rigzin Jora, Minister for Tourism and Culture, and Mr. Navin K. Choudhary, Principal Secretary to the Governor, were present on the occasion.

Secretary Cultural Academy calls on Governor

           SRINAGAR, JULY 14 – Mr. Khalid Bashir Ahmad, Secretary, Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, called on Mr. N. N. Vohra, Governor, at Raj Bhavan here today.

            The Governor, who is Patron of the Cultural Academy, discussed with Mr. Bashir the ongoing and future activities of the Academy and pointed to its high responsibility towards the promotion of art, culture and languages in the State.

            The Governor suggested to Mr. Bashir to explore the modalities of organizing talent hunt competitions in the educational institutions to promote skills in writing and performing arts. He said that the upcoming generation has tremendous talent which needs to be encouraged and channelized. He observed that through sustained activities the Academy could make a vital contribution towards the revival of the invaluable pluralism for which Kashmir has been known for centuries.   

          The Secretary, Cultural Academy, briefed the Governor about the upcoming programmes of the Academy and the recent initiatives taken to enhance the spread of activities in all the three regions.

            This was Mr. Bashir’s first meeting with the Governor after he recently took over as the Secretary of the Cultural Academy. The Governor wished him a successful tenure.