GANDHI WANTED JINNAH AS PM, SAYS DALAI LAMA

Panaji, Aug. 8: Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama on Wednesday said that Jawaharlal Nehru had a “selfcentred attitude” to become India’s first Prime Minister even though Mahatma Gandhi was in favour of Muhammad Ali Jinnah taking the top post at that time. He also claimed India’s partition would not have happened if Mahatma Gandhi’s wish of Jinnah becoming the Prime Minister had materialised.

Panaji, Aug. 8: Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, on Wednesday said Jawaharlal Nehru had a “self-centred attitude” to become India’s first Prime Minister even though Mahatma Gandhi was in favour of Muhammad Ali Jinnah taking the top post at that time.

He also claimed India’s Partition would not have happened if Mahatma Gandhi’s wish of Jinnah becoming the prime minister had materialised.

The 83-year-old monk was addressing an event at the Goa Institute of Management in Goa's Sankhalim town, located about 40 km from here.

Responding to a student’s question on taking right decisions, he said, “I feel democratic systems are very good than the feudal system, which gives power of making decisions in the hands of a few people, which is more dangerous.”

On the topic of Tibet, the spiritual leader said the “institution of Dalai Lama” is no longer politically relevant and it was up to the people of Tibet to decide whether the age-old tradition should continue or not.

He also appealed to Muslims in India to make efforts to reduce Shia-Sunni conflicts and asserted that Islam is a religion of peace.