Pema Khandu, the chief minister, highlights the significance of convening the Indian Himalayan Council of Nalanda Buddhist Tradition meeting at Zemithang.
On April 17, a significant Buddhist conference was held at Zemithang, the 14th Dalai Lama’s first stop during his flight from Tibet, which was under Chinese occupation, in 1959.
Around 600 delegates, including Tibetan spiritual leaders, came from all over India to the conference hosted by the Indian Himalayan Council of Nalanda Buddhist Tradition (IHCNBT), and they were aware of the significance of the location in Tawang region.
A two-day international Buddhist conference will be held in India.
“As you may all be aware, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama crossed India’s final border at Zemithang in 1959. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said at Gorsam Stupa, where the meeting was held, “Therefore, hosting this conference here is crucial.
The final circle headquarters and a settlement called Zemithang or Zimithang are located in the Pangchen Valley, between Tibet and Bhutan. About 96 miles separate the location on the banks of the Nyamjang Chu (river) from Tawang, the district’s administrative center.
Zemithang, which translates as “sand valley,” and Pangchenpa, which means “people who gave up sin,” are terms used to describe the locals.
Beijing disputes Tibet’s border with the Zemithang circle around the Namka Chu and Sumdorong Chu valleys.
While acknowledging that Buddhism has been growing throughout the world and has experienced a significant resurgence in some traditional places, Mr. Khandu said that it needs to be dynamic and more closely tied to Nalanda Buddhism.
“The idea of thinking and analysis is the primary tenet upon which Nalanda Buddhism is founded. This implies that we are able to apply logic and analysis to the Buddha’s teachings. This reasoning is supported by science, and possibly only Buddhism is a religion that allows its adherents this freedom, the speaker stated.
According to the Chief Minister, a significant portion of the people in Arunachal Pradesh is Buddhist, and “fortunately, they have kept their culture and traditions safe with religious fervor.”
He emphasized how different religions coexist in the “land of the rising sun” that is India.
In addition to Buddhism, several other religions, including those who practice their own indigenous faith, are practiced in Arunachal Pradesh. I think all religions and all forms of belief should coexist peacefully, and I’m glad that the people of Arunachal Pradesh are able to achieve so, he remarked.
The delegates came from the Densa South India monasteries in addition to the Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and northern West Bengal.
