Dalai Lama hails liquor prohibition in Bihar

Patna, Jan 11 (IANS) Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who is in Bodh Gaya for the 34th Kalchakra puja, termed the liquor prohibition in Bihar as a good decision.

"Prohibition in Bihar is a good step," he said on Wednesday while addressing thousands of devotees gathered here from across the world for the ongoing Buddhist spiritual event, about 110 km from capital Patna.

The Kalchakra puja is among the most sacred events of the Buddhist religious calendar.

He said that during his short visit to Patna last month Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had informed him about his government's prohibition policy.

The Dalai Lama also reminded his devotees that Lord Buddha said consumption of even a drop of alcohol is a sin and how Mahatma Gandhi also tried to bring in prohibition.

The Tibetan spiritual leader has been living in India in self-imposed exile since 1959 when he fled his homeland after Chinese Communist troops took over Tibet.

Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Nitish Kumar's decision of imposing prohibition in the state and urged all political parties and people to back his move.

Modi has termed Nitish Kumar's decision of prohibition a "brave step" for social change.

"Taking an initiative for social change is very difficult, but Nitish Kumar has initiated it by enforcing prohibition. All people including political parties should back him for it," he said.

The Nitish Kumar-led Grand Alliance government enforced total prohibition on April 5 last year in the state. Since then, more than 16,000 people have been arrested on charges of either consuming or transporting liquor in the state.