Home » Northeast India » Arunachal Pradesh » Khandu calls for peace at Tawang Buddhism conference
Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu called for the Buddha’s teachings of compassion, wisdom and the Middle Path to guide efforts towards peace while addressing an international conference in Tawang.
Speaking at the inaugural session at Kalawangpo Hall, Khandu said the teachings offered “a guiding path towards peace, harmony and collective well-being” amid conflict, intolerance and growing divisions.
The conference, titled “Buddhism: Dissemination in the Himalayan Region and Beyond”, is jointly organised by the Arunachal Pradesh government and the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), with support from the Union culture ministry.
Khandu reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to safeguarding Buddhist heritage, saying development and modernisation must proceed in harmony with the region’s cultural and ecological values.
He described Arunachal Pradesh as a bridge of Buddhist philosophy, culture and spiritual exchange over centuries. The monasteries, nunneries, temples and hermitages of Tawang and surrounding areas were repositories of knowledge and centres of learning that had preserved this legacy, he said.
The chief minister said the region’s Buddhist heritage connected communities, nations and civilisations. He described Buddhism as a way of life founded on compassion, wisdom and the Middle Path.
Khandu said the conference had particular relevance in Tawang because of the presence of the Sacred Relics of Lord Buddha in the town. He expressed hope that scholars and spiritual thinkers attending the event would offer insights into carrying the Buddha’s message to future generations.
The inaugural session began with Mangalacharan by members of the Sangha. IBC secretary general Shartse Khensur Rinpoche Jangchup Choeden delivered the welcome address. Dramed Sungrab Tulku la, abbot of the Tawang Gaden Namgyal Lhatse Monastery, also addressed the gathering.
The first panel discussion, moderated by Moji Riba of Rajiv Gandhi University, featured speakers from Arunachal Pradesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Delhi. Subsequent panels brought together scholars from Germany, Indonesia, Nepal, Malaysia and across India.
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