Nehru gave me realistic advice on dealing with China: Dalai Lama

"According to Pandit Nehru's very realistic advice, American force would not expel Chinese forces from Tibet. So, Pandit Nehru told me sooner or later - you have to talk to Chinese government then. There is no use to raise Tibetan issue at UN," the Dalai Lama said.

The Tibetan spiritual leader said this during the launch of Emory’s international SEE Learning programme here which has been scheduled from April 4-6.

Heeding the advice of Mr Nehru, Dalai Lama said, "Then we, in 1974, decided not to seek independence. We tried to seek a mutual solution so then in 1979 we developed a direct contact with the Chinese government."

Earlier in August last, Dalai Lama had accused Mr Nehru of being "self-centred" and had said that India and Pakistan would have remained united had Mahatma Gandhi’s wish of seeing Muhammad Ali Jinnah as the first prime minister of India come true adding that Jawaharlal Nehru’s “self-centred attitude” was the reason why it did not happen."

But two days later he had apologised for the statement.

"My statement has created controversy, if I said something wrong, I apologise," he had said.

The 83-year-old Dalai Lama and a large number of his followers have been living in India, in exile, since a failed uprising in Tibet in 1959.

The Tibetan spiritual leader, during Thursday's event, even went on to say that China considered him a "splitist".

"I used to tell people I am not a splitist but Chinese government considered me the one," the spiritual leader added.

"So, the Chinese government wants me to fight for Tibet’s independence," he said in a lighter vein.

Image credit: UNI