Mahatma Gandhi wanted Jinnah as PM, but Nehru refused: Dalai Lama

Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama today said Jawaharlal Nehru had a "self-centred attitude" to become India's first prime minister even though Mahatma Gandhi was in favour of Muhammad Ali Jinnah taking the top post at that time.

He also claimed India's partition would not have happened if Mahatma Gandhi's wish of Jinnah becoming the prime minister had materialised.

The 83-year-old monk was addressing an event at the Goa Institute of Management in Goa's Sankhalim town, located about 40 km from here.

Responding to a student's question on taking right decisions, he said, "I feel democratic systems are very good than the feudal system, which gives power of making decisions in the hands of a few people, which is more dangerous."
He said next day at the dawn, they were passing through a mountain and there was "every danger" of Chinese soldiers coming from two different places to stop them. "That was a fearful journey."
He said the China's power is its military force. "We can say from the barrel of gun."