Rigidity okay with compassionate motive: Dalai Lama to Indian Police
(Sourced from PTI)
The Dalai Lama on Wednesday said it is okay for police to be rigid on their job as long as the motivation of their action is larger good. He was giving a talk on Empathy and Compassion in Policing at the request of the Indian Police Foundation. He was addressing the members of the police force virtually from his residence in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.
"Rigidity is simply a method of discipline. Whether it is violent or not entirely depends on the motive. As police, under certain circumstances, you need to use harsh methods, but the larger motivation is protecting people," the Dalai Lama said.
Emphasizing the need for humans to be compassionate and empathetic, the Dalai Lama said such teachings should be part of one's education. "We should pay more attention to educate students in a secular way. That kind of education will teach ahimsa and automatically make people more empathetic and compassionate," he said, adding that the Indian Police is the protector of karuna and ahimsa.
The Dalai Lama said with leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Rajendra Prasad, who preached non-violence, India could be an example for the rest of the world to learn about the co-existence of people of different religions, languages, scripts. "India should be an example for other countries. Indians should make an effort to promote real harmony between nations," he said.
"I believe all human beings are the same. Race, language, culture are secondary and more importantly, we all have to live together on this planet. I appreciate the Indian Police for protecting the country with this concept and democratic values," the Dalai Lama said.
The Dalai Lama, the highest spiritual leader of Tibet, has been living in exile in India ever since he fled Tibet during the 1959 uprising. "All my life I've been with security. I've spent nine years with the Chinese Police and 60 years with the Indian Police," he said. When asked about the criminal justice system, he said he's against the death penalty.
"I am always against the death sentence. They (criminals) should be put in prison, but a death sentence is not right. Any person can make a mistake, but it is always possible to change through proper education and changing surroundings and atmosphere," he said.
