IN SHORT
India has asserted that only the Dalai Lama can decide his successor, rejecting China's claim.
The Dalai Lama’s office confirmed that the Gaden Phodrang Trust will oversee the reincarnation process.
Concerns grow that China may appoint its own Dalai Lama to tighten control over Tibet.
India on Thursday firmly rejected China's claim that it must approve the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, asserting that only the Tibetan spiritual leader has the authority to decide on his successor.
Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju, speaking from Dharamshala during events marking the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday, stated, “The position of the Dalai Lama is of utmost importance, not just for Tibetans but for all his followers across the world. The right to decide on his successor rests solely with the Dalai Lama himself.”
Rijiju and Janata Dal (United) leader Lallan Singh were in Dharamshala as official representatives of the Indian government, participating in what the minister described as a “purely religious occasion.”
The remarks followed a statement from the Dalai Lama’s office reaffirming that the 600-year-old spiritual lineage will continue beyond his lifetime, and that the process of identifying his successor will be overseen solely by the Gaden Phodrang Trust, the official office of the Dalai Lama. The procedure for recognition, it said, had been clearly defined in a public declaration dated 24 September 2011.
However, China reiterated its stance through Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, claiming that the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation must comply with Chinese laws and be approved by Beijing—an assertion India has now directly rebuffed.
The Dalai Lama, who has lived in exile in India since 1959 after fleeing a failed uprising in Lhasa, is globally recognized as a symbol of peace and Tibetan identity. While Beijing brands him a separatist, many fear China may attempt to install its own Dalai Lama to assert greater control over Tibet.
The Tibetan spiritual leader had long warned that the reincarnation process could be manipulated for political purposes, putting the legitimacy of the institution at risk.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)