India-Pakistan would have remained united had Jinnah been made PM instead of Nehru: Dalai Lama

“Mahatma Gandhi wanted to give the prime ministership to Jinnah. But Nehru refused. He was self-centred…,” Dalai Lama said at a student interaction at Goa Institute of Management.

India and Pakistan would have remained united had Jinnah been allowed to take over as prime minister, instead of Jawaharlal Nehru, said Dalai Lama 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,” said Dalai Lama as he answered a question.

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”.