NEW DELHI – Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, called for the inclusion of the Bhoti language spoken by Himalayan people as one of India’s official languages.
Speaking at a conference on Himalayan culture here Monday, the Dalai Lama said culture and environment were two important issues for the Himalayan people and they should preserve both.
“The Himalayas are the source for important rivers. Its environment is important for a very large area. We should understand its significance,” the Dalai Lama said Monday.
Speaking at a seminar on “Himalayan Culture, Bhoti language and tribal education,” he said culture was not about the way people dress and look, but about the state of the mind.
“One way to preserve culture is by way of religion.”
The four-day seminar, attended by over 70 scholars, passed a resolution seeking official Indian recognition for the Bhoti language which is spoken by the Himalayan people as well as several minority groups in India.
The resolution also called for the setting up of a central university in the Himalayan region and the formation of a Trans-Himalayan Development Authority.
The Dalai Lama supported the resolution in his address.
He fled Tibet after an uprising against Chinese rule in 1959 and established a government-in-exile in the Himalayan town of Dharamsala in northern India.
