By IANS,
Jaipur : The 21st century will be a century of dialogue, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said here Thursday while stressing the importance of good relations between India and China.
Only dialogue could help the world from reaching the point of violence, the Dalai Lama told reporters at the Jaipur Literature Festival.
“Destruction of neighbour is like your destruction,” the spiritual leader, a special invitee at the literary carnival, said.
“I also tell people in China, look at India. North, south (regions) equal, democratic,” he said.
The Dalai Lama also touched on incidents of murder and rapes in Indian cities, particularly the Dec 16 gang-rape in the Indian capital.
The Buddhist leader said he would not like the death sentence for the Delhi gang-rape accused. “But it is up to the country, their rules, their law (whether to give death sentence to the rapists).”
He blamed murders and rapes in Indian cities on the “increasing gap between the rich and poor”.
“Sometimes, the poor person we consider thief, but very big people, with millions and millions (of rupees), we do not consider thieves.”
“One person killing is murder; one person killing thousands… we call hero,” he added after addressing a session on Buddhism.
The 77-year-old, living in exile in India since 1959, said he would soon head to the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad.
“Crores of people come – very faithful, very peaceful and all the diet vegetarian; not a single life taken; wonderful.”