Dalai Lama's Succession Puts Sino-Indian Ties To Test Again

(MENAFN- Live Mint) When tiny Dharamshala moves, mighty Beijing shakes. With the Dalai Lama announcing this week that an institution founded by him, the Gaden Phodrang Trust , has the sole authority to pick up his successor, China has got its knickers in a twist.

The Chinese ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, tweeted on July 2:“The government of the People's Republic of China implements a policy of freedom of religious belief. It protects the tradition of reincarnation of Living Buddhas in accordance with the law. The reincarnation of the Dalai Lama must follow the process that consists of search and identification in China, lot-drawing from the Golden Urn, and central government approval, and comply with religious rituals.”

Also Read: The Dalai Lama vs China battle heats up: Beijing says choosing his successor 'by no means' an internal religious matter

The message to Beijing from the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, also Tibet's most influential, is clear. "No one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter,” the Tibetan high priest said.

Samdhong Rinpoche, a member of the Gaden Phodrang Trust, told a media briefing in Dharamshala that“when the time comes, His Holiness will reincarnate, and any person from any gender can be recognised as his reincarnation”. He added,”It is not necessary that the next Dalai Lama will be from Tibet."

Says well-known Tibetologist and author, Vijay Kranti, regarded as very close to the Dalai Lama: "This direct move counters China's long-standing claim to control the selection process of the next Dalai Lama under its own laws. It is a challenge to the presidentship of Xi Jinping, who is surprised that despite the massive repression that China has unleashed on Tibet in the last seven decades, the mindset of the people, including the younger generation, has not changed.''

The Dalai Lama is currently addressing a three-day gathering of Tibetan religious leaders in picturesque Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh. This event is focused on unity, spiritual preservation, and global peace, bringing together senior monks and scholars from various Tibetan Buddhist traditions.

Dharamshala has been the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile since the 14th Dalai Lama settled there after fleeing Tibet in 1959. The Tibetan community often uses Dharamshala as a location for important gatherings, including those related to political, cultural, and religious matters.

The contentious issue is potentially a flashpoint in India's relationship with China , which has shown signs of a thaw, despite Beijing openly taking sides with Pakistan during the four-day Indo-Pakistan conflict in May. Beijing is more than keen to choose a successor of its own and will closely follow how New Delhi reacts to the likely dual succession.

A successor to the Dalai Lama has long been a touchy issue for Beijing, including the elevation of the Panchen Lama, a highly revered figure in Tibetan Buddhism, second only to the Dalai Lama in spiritual authority.

The current Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, was recognised by the Dalai Lama in 1995, but he was subsequently taken into custody by the Chinese government and has been missing ever since. The Chinese government installed their own Panchen Lama, Gyaincain Norbu, which has unsettled Tibetans the world over.

The Beijing-based China Tibetology Research Centre, which is responsible for shaping China's Tibet policy, warned in 2019 that bilateral ties would be adversely impacted if India chose to disregard the appointment of Dalai Lama through the traditional lot-drawing from the Golden Urn, as proposed by China.

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