Himachal Pradesh Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Saturday bestowed the Gandhi Mandela Award on Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama in a ceremony organised by the Gandhi Mandela Foundation in McleodGanj.
Mr. Arlekar said the Dalai Lama was “perhaps the most deserving person in the world today” for the award and called him a “universal ambassador of peace”.
His principles of non-violence and compassion are required in today's world as these are more effective than any army. The Dalai Lama has taken forward the centuries-old culture of goodwill, compassion and love, he said.
Congratulating the Gandhi Mandela Foundation, he said only the Dalai Lama had the potential to become a world citizen after Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela as he was not bound by borders.
Accepting the award, the Dalai Lama said non-violence and compassion were essential for world peace and these principles had been ingrained in Indian culture for thousands of years.
“Any problem cannot be solved by war but through dialogue and peace,” he said.
Earlier, former Chief Justice of India K. G. Balakrishnan said the Dalai Lama was the saviour of a large community and the younger generation must follow his teachings.
The Gandhi Mandela Foundation promotes the values and ideals of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela in the interest of global peace and freedom. The award recognises global leaders who inspire citizens for peace, unity and freedom.
