KOLKATA: The Dalai Lama, who addressed students at IIM Calcutta, said Chinese officials sometimes behave childishly.
"I look at people, including the Chinese, at a fundamental level in which everyone is human. These are no differences, from the way we are born to the way we die. But at times, the Chinese government calls me a demon. I may be a demon but not that bad a demon," he said, drawing laughter from the audience.
Describing himself as a son of India, the spiritual leader said he owed his existence to the country in which he had sought exile in 1959.
"All particles in my mind contain thoughts from Nalanda. And it is Indian dal and chapati that has built this body. I am mentally and physically a son of India," he said.
Criticizing the Chinese government for its paranoia over people who speak a different language, like Tibetans do, he pointed to India's existence despite its diversity.
"I often tell Chinese friends to look at India to get rid of the fear that plurality will lead to secession. India has so many languages and dialects, yet remains strongly united because there is the freedom of speech and rule of law," he said.
Apart from support from all over the world for an autonomous territory within China, the Dalai Lama claimed thousands of articles in Chinese published over the past couple of years had also recognized his stand as the ideal one to resolve the issue.
I am mentally and physically a son of India: Dalai Lama - The Times of India
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