‘Gandhi wanted to give prime ministership to Jinnah. But Nehru refused. He was self-centred.’
Buddhist leader Dalai Lama has claimed that India and Pakistan would have been one country had Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah been made prime minister instead of Jawahar Lal Nehru.
The exiled Tibetan Buddhist religious leader made the remarks during a question and answer session at a student interaction at Goa Institute of Management.
“Mahatma Gandhi wanted to give the prime ministership to Jinnah. But Nehru refused. He was self-centred. He said, ‘I wanted to be prime minister’. India Pakistan would have been united (if Jinnah was made prime minister). Pandit Nehru is very experienced. But mistakes do happen,” Dalai Lama was quoted as having said by The Indian Express.
A student asked him how can one be sure of the decisions one makes, and if they can avoid making mistakes. Dalai Lama chose Nehru’s “decision” to explain that “mistakes do happen”.
