Karmapa in Leh, prayed for world peace

KT NEWS SERVICE Leh, Sep 16 : Praying for world peace, Gyalwang Karmapa, the second highest spiritual leader of Buddhist after the Dalai Lama, urged Buddhist monks to work for the betterment of the humanity.

Karmapa speaking at a religious function, which was attended by more than 25,000 people from different parts of Ladakh region, said for universal peace and harmony, clean mind, fine thinking and good deed was very important.

Every citizen of the world should take their responsibility to ensure peaceful, secure and prosperous future of the world.

Karmapa, who is on ten-day visit to Ladakh region, has expressed pleasure over the well protected and maintained centuries old Buddhist culture in this region.

To keep the values of Buddhism alive and continue for the world peace, promotion of script and language is very much important, he added.

He expressed happiness over the congenial Buddhist-Islam relationship in Ladakh since centuries and stressed to maintain such bond in future too for the progress and prosperity of the people of this region.

Pointing towards the duties of Buddhist monks, Karmapa stressed the need to spread Buddhist values, significance of religion, duties and responsibility so that real essence of Buddhism is worked out for the betterment of all.

DIHAR hosts conference on "Food and Health Security in High Altitude areas" KT NEWS SERVICE LEH, Sep 16: While the whole world including India is concerned over food security, the food and health security in high altitude areas is even more important in today's context.

Because of the harsh environmental condition coupled with difficult terrain, even the basic requirement is sometimes difficult to fulfill, said M Natarajan, Scientific Advisor to Raksha Mantri, Secretary Defence R&D and DG R&D.

Inaugurating a four-day international conference on "Novel Approaches for Food and Health Security in High Altitude" organized by Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR), an establishment of Defence Research Development Organization (DRDO), on the eve of golden jubilee of DRDO at Rinchen Auditorium Leh which was observed from from 6-10 September 2008, M Natarajan said that taking Ladakh as an example, the region is strategically important and therefore there is heavy deployment of troops.

He said ensuring regular supply of fresh food is a major challenge to all of us and above that due to harsh environmental conditions, ensuring health security of the people living in this part of the world is even more challenging.

He said DRDO has been working since its establishment towards ensuring food and health security of the people of Ladakh and the troops deployed here.

"Several laboratories are entirely dedicated to make life easy for people living in this environment.

Though it's a small institute with just 17 scientists, it has contributed immensely towards meeting fresh food availability and greening of Ladakh.

The institute works in close collaboration with the Indian army and the civil authority, that is why its technology developed at this institute, has been successfully transferred to the users," he said.

Giving an overview about the conference, Dr Shashi Bala Singh, Director, DIHAR said the theme of the conference, which is 'To enhance performance and sustainable development at High Altitude', is exceedingly important in today's context.

The envisaged objectives of this conference, she added, was to unravel the new approaches to secure food and health security in high altitudes has got a paradigm shift and an altogether new horizon through sustained and thought provoking scientific sessions during this conference.

Lt Gen VK Ahluwalia GOC, 14 Corps, highlighted the outstanding contribution of DRDO especially Defence Institute of High Altitude Research for yeomen services for armed forces as well as society of the region.