By Mridul Bhatt

New Delhi [India], March 21 (ANI): The First General Assembly of the Indian Himalayan Council of Nalanda Buddhist Tradition (IHCNBT) was successfully organised at the India International Center (IIC). The assembly brought together 120 Buddhist delegates from various Himalayan states across India.

This historic gathering was attended by prominent personalities, including Lochen Tulku Rinpoche, the President of IHCNBT; Maling Gombu, the General Secretary; Sonam Wangchuk, a founding member of IHCNBT and Rajiv Kumar, Director of the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), along with other distinguished dignitaries.

In his keynote address, Lochen Tulku Rinpoche stated, 'We have strong feelings to preserve local languages. We have decided to organise Himalayan region conference. His Holiness Dalai Lama advised not only to protect language but also monasteries and transform institutions into learning centers. We must be Buddhists of the 21st century. One must have good knowledge of Buddhism. Everyone should be given the opportunity to learn in this center. We were granted permission from the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) to recognise Bhoti language.'

He further highlighted the reincarnation of Dalai Lama and said, 'It is very clear that we, Indian Himalayan Buddhists, will accept whatever His Holiness decides about his reincarnation. If he says he will be born in India, then we shall be the happiest people. It is totally up to the Dalai Lama, and it is purely non-political.'

Rinpoche lamented, 'China is a communist country and does not accept religion, so we don't care about what China thinks about Buddhist practices.'

Maling Gombu, General Secretary of IHCNBT emphasised on Dalai Lama's book, Voice for Voiceless and stated, 'This book is about the Tibetan cause and how they have been lost to the Chinese. There have been many human rights violations against the Buddhist culture and languages. But the people of Tibet have stood against the violation of human rights.'

Later on agenda points of the General Assembly were discussed in the conference.

Regional Chapters Vice President from Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, North Bengal and Arunachal Pradesh were also present at the assembly. (ANI)