Dharamshala: His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s long-envisioned dream of an Asian and World union, akin to that of the European Union, was heard for the very first time in the Northeast state of Manipur earlier this month.
In his address to media before a civic reception function in Manipur’s capital Imphal, the 82-year-old Nobel peace laureate revealed that his dream was to see China, India, Japan and other Asian countries create a union, akin to that of the European Union. And ultimately form a world union-anchored in the spirit of solidarity, dialogue and common interests.
Advocating his vision for a more peaceful world, His Holiness explained how in the aftermath of the 2nd World War, European countries that had been embroiled for centuries in violent conflict, decided to unify as a pragmatic solution to rebuild Europe—to not just serve its interests but that of the world in general.
This realisation ultimately led to the creation of the EU, he said. “Even though there were differences in the past, after the Second World War, the people realised that common interest is more important than the different national interest.”
Proposing dialogue and common interests as solutions to the communal problems in the North East region, His Holiness appealed to his Manipuri friends and followers to think “more broadly” and work towards “common interest” but at the same time emphasised that the constitutional provisions should be implemented thoroughly.
His Holiness also remarked how India rose from the throes of battles and communal disputes to become the great confident Republic that it is now.