Overall Indians are religiously tolerant: Dalai Lama

[V.Balasubramani]

Share:

Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn WhatsApp Email Share Link

Overall Indians are religiously tolerant: Dalai Lama

Bengaluru, Dec 7 (PTI) Amid the raging debate over intolerance, Tibetan spiritual head the Dalai Lama today said overall Indians are religiously tolerant, but there are some politicians and some sections of the media who create sensationalism out of "small things".

"Ninety nine per cent of Indians still are religiously tolerant and one per cent it is possible (to have intolerant people). I believe that. Some politicians may express different things, but that is their individual expression," the Dalai Lama told PTI in an interview here.

"Some people in the media too create small things into ....create sensationalism,' said the Dalai Lama, on a three-day visit to Bengaluru.

The Tibetan spiritual leader said a lot of problems are highlighted in newspapers but they are not that serious.

"In India I feel, when we look at the newspapers, there are a lot of problems, but besides that nothing serious - Totalitarian regimes' newspaper is smooth, but underneath a lot of problems," he said.

Read more at: http://www.ptinews.com/news/6824960_Overall-Indians-are-religiously-tolerant--Dalai-Lama-.html

 

[krish44]

We are definitely tolerant.We put up with dalailama and thousands of tibetan refugees in india.

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Overall Indians are religiously tolerant: Dalai Lama

Bengaluru, Dec 7 (PTI) Amid the raging debate over intolerance, Tibetan spiritual head the Dalai Lama today said overall Indians are religiously tolerant, but there are some politicians and some sections of the media who create sensationalism out of "small things".

"Ninety nine per cent of Indians still are religiously tolerant and one per cent it is possible (to have intolerant people). I believe that. Some politicians may express different things, but that is their individual expression," the Dalai Lama told PTI in an interview here.

"Some people in the media too create small things into ....create sensationalism,' said the Dalai Lama, on a three-day visit to Bengaluru.

The Tibetan spiritual leader said a lot of problems are highlighted in newspapers but they are not that serious.

"In India I feel, when we look at the newspapers, there are a lot of problems, but besides that nothing serious - Totalitarian regimes' newspaper is smooth, but underneath a lot of problems," he said.

Read more at: http://www.ptinews.com/news/6824960_Overall-Indians-are-religiously-tolerant--Dalai-Lama-.html

Chief Justice of Supreme Court of India has also expressed nearly the same opinion.

"Supreme Court will ensure rule of law, says CJI Thakur

Noting that there is a political angle to the whole religious intolerance debate, Chief Justice of India Tirath Singh Thakur sent a strong message against divisive forces, saying that India is an inclusive society where people of all faiths and religions flourish with mutual respect and the Supreme Court will ensure that the Rule of Law reigns supreme.

“When the Constitution guarantees Rule of Law to those who are not our citizens, there is no question that citizens of India, no matter of what religion or faith should feel unprotected. We (Supreme Court) have no reluctance to protect the beliefs of our fellow citizens. As long as Rule of Law prevails no one has to be afraid,” Chief Justice Thakur said during a media interaction at his residence on Sunday.

Read more at:http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/cji-tirath-singh-thakur-talks-about-intolerance-debate-in-india/article7954906.ece

 

[prasad1]

In the similar comment we can say "majority of muslims are for peace". But most of the terrorist are Muslims and are violent.
So a small minority is able to terrorize a wast majority.

So majority of Indians may be tolerant but a minority of them mostly Hindutva wing of BJP is terrorizing the majority.
Majority of Hindus do not "know" Muslims. There is very little chance for a Hindu to meet a Muslim socially. We meet people for business or at work and then claim that we have muslim friends. Similarly majority of Muslim return back to their own community.
This isolation and politicizing of this relation has given rise to distrust.

 

[CHANDRU1849]

International Dignitaries, whether Political or Religious, are ready to comment about India and Indian people.

Will the spiritual leader tell what is the overall religiosity of Buddhists?

 

[V.Balasubramani]

In the similar comment we can say "majority of muslims are for peace". But most of the terrorist are Muslims and are violent.
So a small minority is able to terrorize a wast majority.

So majority of Indians may be tolerant but a minority of them mostly Hindutva wing of BJP is terrorizing the majority.
Majority of Hindus do not "know" Muslims. There is very little chance for a Hindu to meet a Muslim socially. We meet people for business or at work and then claim that we have muslim friends. Similarly majority of Muslim return back to their own community.
This isolation and politicizing of this relation has given rise to distrust.

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump who on Tuesday defended his call to ban Muslims from entering the United States, calling it a temporary measure in a time of war may have his own judgement.

 

[prasad1]

Donald trump is a bigoted individual, and his Islamophobia was not called out by other republicans.
Yes terrorist can infiltrate as refugee, and people should be investigated.
But what do you do to ingrown terrorist. Syed Farook was a US born Muslim, not an immigrant.

The outpouring of blatant Islamophobia and barely disguised racism coming from the right-wing in the wake of the Paris attacks is utterly despicable. Every time one of these attacks happen, conservatives insist on blaming the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims for their complicity, even though the majority of terrorist attacks are carried out against Muslim. American far right-wingers like Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) are calling for religious profiling of incoming refugees, because somehow being a Christian automatically removes the risk of terrorism – even though Christian right-wing terrorists in America have killed more people since 9/11 than Muslim terrorists have.

Jim David Adkisson, a devout Christian and anti-abortion right-winger, walked into a Knoxville church on July 27th, 2008.

In 1993, Dr. Richard Gunn was shot dead by an anti-abortion protester. In 1994, Drs. John Britton and James Barrett were shot to death by Reverend Paul Jennings. In 1998, Dr. Barnett Sleipan was shot dead in his home by a Christian terrorist. In 2009, Dr. George Tiller was shot by Scott Roeder in a church. The ability for Christian right-wingers to justify cold-blooded murder in the name of their pro-life beliefs is a colossal hypocrisy worthy of a terrorist group like ISIS.

Timothy McVeigh, America’s most notorious domestic terrorist, was obsessed with the Seventh-Day Aventist splinter group known as the Branch Davidians, who resisted an ATF raid on their citadel at Mount Carmel in 1993.

On Wednesday, June 17th of this year, a man rose from a pew in the historically black Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC, and opened fire with a .45 caliber pistol, killing nine worshipers, including pastor and State Senator Clementa Pickiney.

 

[tks]

The world tolerance is actually a derogatory word to me. It has found its way into popular expression though usage by followers of Christianity in the west who 'tolerate' others knowing that others are destined to hell (because they do not subscribe to the idea that jesus is their savior).

I would like to separate the acts of people done in the name of a religion with incorrect understanding and those acts arising out of sanctioned interpretations of a religion ((like issue of fatwahs, proactive conversions by missionaries etc).

Will anyone of us ever say to anyone close that 'we tolerate' them? It would be an insult.

The knowledge sections of vedas teach universal acceptance, not toleration. There will always be elements in any society that will commit crime in the name of religion but their acts are inconsistent with the teaching of the religion. For example, modern India is steeped in corruption which is clearly adharmic in a land that taught the word Dharma to the world. But the corrupt acts do not define Hinduism and its teaching.

This point that we universally accept was echoed in the Chicago address by Swami Vivekananda. He did not use the word 'toleration' but used the word 'acceptance'. Let me reproduce that text to emphasize the point.

"My thanks, also, to some of the speakers on this platform who, referring to the delegates from the Orient, have told you that these men from far-off nations may well claim the honor of bearing to different lands the idea of toleration. I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, who came to Southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation. I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of human beings: "As the different streams having their sources in different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee.""


The last part refers to the Mantra chanted by those doing Sandhyavandhanam .

Akashat patitam toyam,
Yatha gachati sagaram l
Sarva deva namaskaraha,
Keshavam pratigachati ll

आकाशात् पतितं तोयं यथा गच्छति सागरम् सर्व देव नमस्कारः केशवं प्रतिगच्छति
i.e. Rain water falls on various parts of the earth, but, of it's own accord, in its own way, it always makes its way to the ocean. Similarly, worship offered to any divine being will eventually end up at the feet of Shri Krshna."

This is universal acceptance. We do not tolerate but accept people. This is the core of the Hindu message.

Please do not bring caste oriented issues of India in this context.

 

[krish44]

There are some who live in some dream world in US.

They think of message of vivekananda and the like imagine that we are followers the path of Dharma in our affairs.

If such beliefs keeps them going in other countries where they live and help them cope there it is fine.

We are like all countries . We have fringe groups who are intolerant. We knock off those belonging to low caste or other religions . We also ll treat our women and

molest/rape them if oppurtunity permits in our cities. W have equal number of thugs and top criminals in india since our criminal justice system is archaic and slow.

It is nothing much to be proud about.It would not be out of place to mention what is happening to rationalists , writers ,intellectuals and film fraternity.

Is india the dreamland that many think of in distant lands?they are probably not in touch with realities of living in india

 

[V.Balasubramani]

There are some who live in Delhi and wander in their colourful dream world with empty thoughts.

They talk like Sadhus and write like Yogis and act diligently as though they are the followers of the path of Dharma in all affairs and give lectures on religious tolerance.

It is nothing much to be proud about.

It would not be out of place to mention here as to what has actually happened in Kuwait for a section of Indians who performed Sathyanaranay Puja.

There are few, more certainly one in Delhi who wanders in his dreamland and do come to this forum and post blabbering texts which are far from truth and nothing to do with ground reality.

In this regard, I would like share the following incident:


"For conducting a puja, Indians shunted out of Kuwait await salaries and belongings

They had to leave with nothing but the clothes on their backs

On October 16, the Navachetana Welfare Association, Kuwait, had organized its annual Satyanarayana puja in a hall owned by a Malayali in Mangab, near Kuwait city. The association was registered with the Indian Embassy in Kuwait in 2014. Around 150 people of the association, including women and children had attended the puja according to a release from the association.

Ten days later, Yadav says he got a call from his company, where he works in the catering department, to come early the next day. “They told me to come at 7 am for a personal medical (exam). But there is no such thing as a personal medical (exam). I got a doubt, so I called my wife and told her about this.”

Around 10 am on October 26, Kuwaiti government officials came, picked up his passport and took him to an unknown location. “I don’t know where we were, the vehicles have black glass, so we can’t see anything,” Yadav said.

See more at: http://www.thenewsminute.com/articl...ies-and-belongings-36653#sthash.YJS1QkYo.dpuf

 

[GANESH65]

No body could doubt the tolerance capacity of India/Indians who has a little knowledge of Indian history. Indian culture, which has more than 5000 years of existence to claim has been tolerant towards all other faiths and even has helped to promote them on our own soil from time immemorial. To treat India as intolerant for the act of hand full of persons would be a highly ridiculous. In fact Hinduism is the only faith where it says ' LOKA SAMASTHA SUKHINO BHAVANTHU".

 

[krish44]

What is happening in kuwait or the US does not justify intolerance based on caste or religion or raping females whenever ,wherever possible.

Only some living in a world of their own can shut their eyes to happenings here and claim it is heavan on earth.

Too much of water dullens senses make people hallucinate.

 

[prasad1]

I agree Krishji.
The condition in every country is unique in itself.
Majority of world atrocities are being committed by so-called "muslim" (they might be fringe) community. It is unfortunate fact.
But to brand all Muslim with that is wrong. We can not blame them for the murders. I do think they have some responsibility towards their country. They must hold the country above religion.
Having said that, it also is their right to all the privileges of that citizenship.
I do not subscribe to Islamophobia, and it is dangerous to all.

 

[V.Balasubramani]

What is happening in kuwait or the US does not justify intolerance based on caste or religion or raping females whenever ,wherever possible.

Only some living in a world of their own can shut their eyes to happenings here and claim it is heavan on earth.

Too much of water dullens senses make people hallucinate.

For people who have mind alike that of a frog in a well, don’t bother as to what is happening around them.

They simply come here to write some senseless blah blah without any material to establish their stand.

Such people living in a world of their own can shut their eyes to happenings, lose their sense and start shouting about simple happenings by blowing them up.

It is the handwork of media which fabricate, magnify things out of proportion.

May be too much of water dullens senses of such people hallucinate.

India is good again! Aamir Khan comments on intolerance debate after it's been done and dusted

One early morning last week, on the way to the airport, I received this shared message on my mobile phone that read:

‘The Bihar results came out on 8 November. Today is 21 November. In the two weeks, not one award has been returned, there has been no controversy over any religious commitments, no talks about beef or any other kind of meat anymore. No one is rioting, no one is screaming intolerance, and there is peace in India. We are now discussing pay commissions and other routine stuff. Just sit back and think how the media and Congress manipulated the minds of the nation in the run up to the elections over those six weeks. Good to see that India has once again magically become tolerant and secular."

Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/india/indi...er-its-done-dusted-and-discarded-2518748.html

 

[V.Balasubramani]

This is the ground reality.

No significant increase in communal violence: Govt tells Rajya Sabha

The Minister said a total of 644 communal incidents were reported in 2014 across the country in which 95 people were killed and 1,921 others received injuries.

There has been no significant increase in incidents of hate crimes against minority communities over the years, Rajya Sabhawas informed on .


"No significant increase in such crimes has been reported by the state government, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said when asked whether it was a fact that incidents of hate crimes against minority communities have increased. Replying to another written question, Rijiju said there is actually a decline in the number of communal incidents that took place in 2014 and 2015.

Read more at: http://www.dnaindia.com/india/repor...munal-violence-govt-tells-rajya-sabha-2153712

 

[krish44]

It is nice to live in a make believe world of no communal violence and total peace.

For that one has to be locked in a home with water surrounding on all sides or be on a deserted island

 

[V.Balasubramani]

It is nice to live in a make believe world of no communal violence and total peace.

For that one has to be locked in a home with water surrounding on all sides or be on a deserted island

Some may feel that it is nice to wander in dream world and shut their eyes to what is happening around them.

For that, one may need to simply lock his mind and go for a booze with pals in the rape capital.