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Dharamshala: - Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama Saturday (2 April) has reiterated his strong concern over the melting of glaciers in the Tibetan plateau; and for the millions of people that use the life-giving water that live in India. The glaciers feed vital lifelines for Asian rivers, including the Indus and the Ganges. Once the rivers dry up, water supplies in those regions will be threatened to dangerous levels.
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama used research provided by Chinese experts, saying that "the Tibetan glaciers are retreating faster than anywhere else in the world". He added that the ecology in Tibet is "something very, very essential".
"India, a free country, I think should express more serious concern, that's I think important. This is nothing to do with politics, just everybody's interest, including Chinese people also," said the Tibetan spiritual leader and Nobel laureate when he was delivering the 3rd Birth Centenary Lecture in honor of former Indian President R. Venkataraman.
His Holiness was speaking at the centenary celebrations of India's former President R. Venkataraman in New Delhi, to an audience of 400 people. He expressed his concern not just for the Tibetan people, but because; "millions of Indians use water coming from the Himalayan glacier, so you have a certain right to show your concern about the ecology of that plateau".
The speech highlighted a growing concern over water shortages in the region, and the strain that is starting to show on access to freshwater in both India and China. His Holiness the Dalai Lama and panelists also discussed about the "Non Violence and Spiritual Values in a Secular India" at the 3rd Birth Centenary Lecture in honor of former Indian President R. Venkataraman in New Delhi, India, on April 2nd, 2011.
"In terms of the ecological aspect of the issue, more than a billion people in the Asian regions maybe depend on the water that comes from rivers that originate on the Tibetan plateau. Therefore, people in the region who will be impacted by changes to the Tibetan environment have the right to express their concern at the future of Tibet," said His Holiness, during the sixth International conference of Tibet Support Groups which held in last November.
