India reiterated his support on the 90th birthday of the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama. Union ministers Kiren Rijiju and Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh) will attend their birthday celebrations at Dharamshala on 6 July 2025. The ceremony has started from June 30 according to the Tibetan calendar. Rijiju said, “This is not a question of politics, but a matter of religious faith.”
The Dalai Lama announced on 2 July that his successor would be selected only by the Gaden Fodrang Trust. He made it clear that China has no right to interfere in it. Riziju supported this, saying, “The successor of the Dalai Lama will only decide and his established traditions.”
China strongly objected to this statement. Beijing says that Buddhist leaders like the Dalai Lama and Panchan Lama will be regenerated by the Golden Arn system and need the approval of the Chinese government. The Dalai Lama dismissed it, saying that his successor would be born outside China.
The Dalai Lama came to India after Chinese repression in Tibet in 1959. Since then, he has been living a deported life in Dharamshala. In 2015, he created the Gaden Fodarrang Trust, which handles the Tibetan Buddhist traditions. This trust has the support of the Government of India.
Rijiju said, “Dalai Lama’s followers trust him. Buddhist communities around the world want their traditions to remain.” Meanwhile, the Tibetan exiled government and the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) also welcomed the statement of the Dalai Lama.
The Pancharen Lama elected by the Dalai Lama in 1995 disappeared by China. After this, Beijing appointed his Pancharen Lama. This statement of the Dalai Lama is an attempt to save Tibetan culture. This is a diplomatic victory for India and a challenge for China.
