According to Indian media reports on the 9th, india and Nepal have a new dispute over the birthplace of the Buddha. India's foreign minister, subhramanyam jaishankar, declared that Shakyamuni (Buddha) was the greatest "Indian", which Nepal objected to. Subsequently, India temporarily quelled the controversy, acknowledging that the founder of Buddhism was "unquestionably" born in Nepal.
Screenshot of the Indian media report
At a webinar held by the Confederation of Indian Industries on the 8th, when discussing the issue of "the greatest Indian ever", Indian Foreign Minister Jayson Sojaysen said, "I think one is Shakyamuni and the other is Mahatma Gandhi. ”
A day later, Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement saying, "Historical and archaeological evidence proves that Shakyamuni was born in Lumbini, Nepal, which is an established and undeniable fact." The spokesman reminded that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had mentioned in a speech to the Nepalese parliament in 2014 that "Nepal is the country where the Buddha was born, the messenger of world peace.".
A spokesman for Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs added, "It is true that Buddhism spread from Nepal to the rest of the world in the ensuing period. This issue is unquestionable and controversial and therefore cannot be the subject of debate. The entire international community is well aware of this. ”
Hours later, the Indian government issued a statement that temporarily quelled the controversy. Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said, "The Indian Foreign Minister's speech yesterday referred to our shared Buddhist heritage. There is no doubt that the Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal. ”
Although Nepal has always been sensitive to Shakyamuni's birthplace, the recent friction occurred against the backdrop of a frosty relationship between the two countries over territorial issues. In September 2013, during a visit to Nepal, then-Indian Foreign Minister Sujatha Singh had to publicly reiterate that "The Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal."
In addition, about 300 cable operators in Nepal have blocked the Indian television station zee tv because the station apparently broadcast the news that "Shakyamuni was born in India" in a series.