On the occasion of Buddha Jayanti, President Ram Baran Yadav conferred the Gautam Buddha International Peace Award to two Japanese mayors amidst a function in Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Gautam Buddha.
The award carries a purse of USD 50,000 and a certificate. The award was established to promote Buddha's message of peace, non-violence, human solidarity and values in 2002. It is announced at 5 years' interval.
"I wish for peace and harmony and for the nation to stand together forever," said President Yadav. "The politics of violence should end". At the end of his speech, he switched to Nepali from English to urged the political parties to fulfill their responsibility of giving the people a new constitution.
Tomishisa Taue, incumbent Mayor of Nagasaki and Tadatoshi Akiba, former Mayor of Hiroshima were the recipients of the award this year. The two cities were devastated in the World War II and the people of these cities have worked together for many years to abolish nuclear weapon. "The realisation of the world without nuclear weapons is the strongest wish of all the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki," said Taue.
"Our wish for peace is based on Buddha's philosophies," Akiba said. He described the sufferings and pains of the victims after the city was bombed. "Hiroshima offers hope because its citizens have been able to reconstruct their city and achieve prosperity," he said.
Each speaker, defense and culture ministers included, described Buddha's teachings and peace. "As the country is in the peace process, the message of Buddha is all the more relevant for us. The award should give a message to political leaders that the country should be peaceful first for giving away peace awards," said Kul Chandra Gautam, chairman of Management and Selection Committee.
Buddha’s teachings are followed as Buddhism in various countries including Nepal, India, China, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Japan among other countries. Buddha is also named as a national luminary of Nepal.
