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His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama: a Nobel Laureate and The Guru of Euphemisms

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8 years ago

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His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama: a Nobel Laureate and The Guru of Euphemisms

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]His Holiness the Dalai Lama is mellowed, mild-tempered and content to be just a ‘Son of India’.

~By Dilip Bobb

There is something almost childlike about the Dalai Lama which tends to dilute the gravity and importance of the words he is speaking. He tends to break out into a giggling fit whenever he detours into one of his humorous asides, which is fairly often. He will grab the arm of the person sitting next to him and you almost expect him to start throwing high fives with those sharing the dais. It would not seem out of place. For all his stature as a Nobel Laureate and the 14th Dalia Lama, the prefix of His Holiness, and the respect, even reverence, with which he is greeted by everyone, from commoner to celebrity, he exudes an earthy, infectious charm that is both endearing and astute.  Yesterday, watching him speak at the Rajendra Mathur Memorial Lecture organised by the Editors Guild of India, the Tibetan spiritual leader’s quirky characteristics and choice of words, replete with harmless homilies, is perhaps a persona he has been forced to assume. It is one that makes him the guru of euphemisms.

For all his elevated spiritual status and enviable global profile, the Dalai Lama knows he walks a political and diplomatic tightrope every day of his life. His presence in India is a constant source of friction between New Delhi and Beijing and India often uses him as a tool, giving him permission to visit areas that it knows will act like a red flag to the bull in the China shop. His recent visit to the Tawang monastery in Arunachal Pradesh is a prime example. On New Delhi’s part, it was deliberate provocation and sent the Chinese ballistic, with dire warnings and reminders of China’s military prowess. Yet, at yesterdays lecture, meant to be on the media and ethics, HH mentioned the Tawang visit only to emphasise the fact that he was growing old and that his ‘creaking knees’ had given him problems, which was why he opted to sit and deliver his lecture.  He was equally at pains to remind the audience – a mix of journalists, Tibetan groupies, and diplomats from various missions in Delhi – that he was now ‘retired’ and had no official or political role.

Having made the point, from then on, it was vintage Dalai Lama, mixing bromides with borderline politics, chiding and yet praising the media, and right through, knowing he is a guest, albeit an honoured one, of the Indian government, giving fulsome praise to Indian democracy and its stabilizing influence in the region.  He started by glancing down at the dignitaries seated in the front row – senior retired Indian diplomats and ex National Security Advisors — and greeted them with a cheery ‘hello, lots of  old friends’, adding that ‘this looks like a reunion.’’ These were people who had dealt with him in their official capacity so the bonhomie was explainable. His lecture, as is his wont, wanders from the topic listed, but if you listen closely enough, there are always hidden gems. The venue of the lecture gave him cause for some diversions. It was at the Nehru Memorial, which was where India’s first prime minister stayed while in office. HH mentioned the numerous times he had visited Nehru and their discussion about China, hinting that they did not always part in a friendly manner.  “Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation for the welfare of Tibetans in exile in India. It is only in India that all the major religious traditions exist side by side. Sometimes problems takes place, not unusual as so many varieties of traditions live here. But it is here alone that all live in full freedom,” he said. The euphemism was not lost. “Some problems’’ was his way of downplaying worrisome trends in favour of the bigger picture.

So was the case with his views on the media, where he remarked, almost as an afterthought, that “propaganda makes things complicated”, and that the media is to blame for the ‘sharp rhetoric’. He had delivered a short speech by his standards – maybe his health and his 82 year old body was to blame — after which he threw the floor open to questions, with, inevitably, the first one being on the face off between New Delhi and Beijing. His criticism of the media being responsible for the heated rhetoric was spot on, and suggests that his mind is as sharp as ever, and that he does indeed watch a lot of television news.  The other questions on China also showed why he is the guru of euphemisms. He praised President Xi Jinping for his fight against corruption, but then drew some blood by remarking that he could not stay in a place where there was no freedom (Tibet), and preferred the ‘heat of India.’ Right through the event, he kept referring to himself as a  “Son of India”, well aware that his speech, in a room full of journalists, would be given widespread coverage.

Yet, what the lecture and Q and A session suggested was that we could be seeing the last of the man who has served as an inspiration for resistance movements across the world, and the start of another – a return to the Dalai Lama’s original role – purely as a spiritual leader. He made it clear that there was no urgency to select the next Dalai Lama and indicated that the process of finding his successor, who might as well be a woman, will begin in the next two to three years. More important was his assertion that the next Dalai Lama may not have a political role to play in future and that China should not worry about his role or that of his successors.  There is no longer a wolf in sheep’s clothing. There is only the sheep.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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National Herald row reignites BJP-Congress face-off amid ED chargesheet

BJP has reignited its attack on the Gandhi family, accusing them of a corporate conspiracy in the National Herald case, while Congress dismisses the ED action as a political vendetta by the Modi government.

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A political slugfest has erupted once again between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress following the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) chargesheet naming Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the alleged money laundering case tied to the now-defunct National Herald newspaper. The BJP has termed the case a textbook example of “corporate conspiracy,” while the Congress has decried the move as an act of “political vendetta” by the Narendra Modi-led central government.

BJP questions Gandhi family’s property acquisition through Young India Ltd

Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, addressing a press briefing, accused the Congress of orchestrating a corporate arrangement to transfer property into the Gandhi family’s hands. He highlighted that in 2008, after the National Herald ceased publication, the Congress gave ₹90 crore to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the newspaper’s publisher — a transaction he claims violates the norms as political parties are barred from funding private entities.

AJL reportedly failed to repay the loan, after which a non-profit entity, Young India Limited (YIL) — in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi each hold a 38% stake — acquired the company’s shares and, by extension, its properties across several Indian cities. Mr. Prasad questioned YIL’s charitable work and highlighted that a token amount of ₹50 lakh was paid to AJL before the remaining loan was written off.

“This is the Gandhi model of development,” Prasad said, alleging that the arrangement enabled the Gandhi family to take control of property worth thousands of crores.

BJP expands attack to Robert Vadra

The BJP leader also took aim at Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s husband, Robert Vadra, citing alleged irregularities in land transactions. “Another member buys land for ₹3 crore and sells it for ₹58 crore. The country should learn from this Gandhi model,” he remarked sarcastically.

Congress fights back, terms case a political smokescreen

The Congress has launched protests across the country in response to the BJP’s remarks and the ED’s chargesheet. Senior leader Pawan Khera likened the current actions to pre-Independence times, stating, “Back then, the British hated National Herald, the Gandhi family and the Congress — today the RSS has taken that place.”

Calling the case baseless, Congress leader Sachin Pilot said, “There has been no exchange of funds or transfer of property rights. This case is politically motivated, and the Modi government is attempting to silence the voice of the Opposition.” He affirmed that the party has full faith in the judiciary and will fight the case legally.

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Priyanka Gandhi accompanies Robert Vadra to ED office for second day in Gurugram land probe

Robert Vadra, husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi, appeared before the ED for the second day in the Gurugram land case.

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April 16, 2025

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Robert Vadra Priyanka Gandhi

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accompanied her husband Robert Vadra to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office on Wednesday as he appeared for questioning for the second consecutive day in connection with the Gurugram land case.

Mr Vadra, the brother-in-law of Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, was seen exchanging a hug with Ms Gandhi before entering the ED office. He is under scrutiny in a money laundering probe linked to a 2008 land deal in Manesar-Shikohpur area, now known as Sector 83 of Gurugram.

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The investigation stems from a land transaction executed by Skylight Hospitality Pvt Ltd, a company in which Mr Vadra was formerly a director. In February 2008, Skylight purchased 3.5 acres of land from Onkareshwar Properties for ₹7.5 crore. At that time, Haryana was governed by a Congress-led administration under then Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

In September 2012, four years after the acquisition, Skylight sold the same land to real estate developer DLF for ₹58 crore. The deal later drew public attention after senior IAS officer Ashok Khemka, who was then heading the Land Consolidation and Land Records department in Haryana, cancelled the land mutation, citing violations of the State Consolidation Act and procedural discrepancies.

Haryana Police registered an FIR to examine the deal in 2018, further intensifying the legal scrutiny.

ED questions Vadra under PMLA

On Tuesday, Mr Vadra was questioned for nearly five hours by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), during which his statement was recorded. The businessman has consistently maintained that the case is part of a political vendetta and emphasized that he has cooperated fully with all investigative agencies, submitting numerous documents over the years.

Calling for a closure to what he described as a decades-old matter, Mr Vadra said cases like these should not be allowed to drag on indefinitely.

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Congress slams PM Modi, Amit Shah after ED files chargesheet against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi

The ED’s chargesheet has accused the Congress leaders of money laundering under Sections 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

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April 15, 2025

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The Congress on Tuesday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah after the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) chargesheet against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and others in the National Herald case.

Labelling it a blatant act of vendetta politics, the grand old party also condemned the seizure of the newspaper’s assets as a “state-sponsored crime disguised as justice,” vowing to fight back against what it calls an attempt to silence its leadership.

In a fiery statement on X, Congress general secretary in charge of communication Jairam Ramesh accused PM Modi and Shah of orchestrating a campaign of intimidation. “Filing chargesheets against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and others is nothing but the politics of vendetta gone wild,” Ramesh posted. “Seizing National Herald’s assets is a mockery of the rule of law.”

Hitting out at Shah, the Congress leader accused him of going “completely berserk.” He asserted that the Indian National Congress and its leadership refuse to be silenced, stating: “Satyameva Jayate.”

The ED’s chargesheet has accused the Congress leaders of money laundering under Sections 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Alongside Sonia and Rahul, it names Congress figures Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda. Special Judge Vishal Gogne reviewed the document for cognisance, scheduling further proceedings for April 25, with the filing handled by ED’s special public prosecutor, N.K. Matta.

Ramesh asserted that the Congress remains undeterred, promising, “We will not be silenced, and the truth will triumph.” The chargesheet reignites a long-standing legal battle tied to the National Herald, a newspaper associated with the Congress since India’s independence era.

The Delhi Rouse Avenue Court has scheduled a hearing for arguments on the ongoing National Herald case for April 25, 2025.

During a recent session, the presiding judge stated, “The present prosecution complaint shall next be taken up for consideration on the aspect of cognisance before this court on April 25, 2025, when the special counsel for the ED and the investigating officer will ensure the production of case diaries for the court’s examination.”

The prosecution complaint, lodged under Sections 44 and 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) of 2002, pertains to allegations of money laundering, as outlined in Section 3, in conjunction with Section 70, and is punishable under Section 4 of the same act, as per the report.

This case has garnered significant attention, following a complaint filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy against Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul, their associated companies, and other individuals involved.

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