Dalai Lama defies China: Reincarnation will be Tibetan-led; what it means for Xi Jinping | India News

Tibet’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, confirmed on Wednesday that he will reincarnate, putting an end to speculation that the centuries-old institution could end with him.Speaking via recorded video message at prayer celebrations in Dharamshala, just days before his 90th birthday, he emphasized that the next Dalai Lama will be selected following established Tibetan Buddhist traditions.“I am affirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue,” he said. “No one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter.”This stance explicitly challenges China’s claim that it alone has the power to approve the Dalai Lama’s successor-a position that has deepened tensions between Beijing and the Tibetan exile community.Why it matters

What it means for India

Between the linesThis Dalai Lama vs China confrontation is rooted in historical precedent. In 1995, when the Dalai Lama identified the 11th Panchen Lama-a position second only to his own-China responded by abducting the child and installing its own candidate, whom many Tibetans dismiss as illegitimate.The international community broadly condemned this move, but China remained steadfast. Observers now fear a similar scenario with dueling Dalai Lamas-one appointed by Beijing and another recognized by Tibetan authorities outside China.The Dalai Lama has explicitly instructed his followers not to accept a Chinese-appointed successor, warning against political interference.Penpa Tsering, president of Tibet’s government-in-exile, reinforced this stance clearly: “We not only strongly condemn the People’s Republic of China’s usage of reincarnation subject for their political gain and will never accept it,” Tsering said.Zoom inAt the heart of the Dalai Lama’s succession plan is the Gaden Phodrang Trust, a non-profit organization established by the Dalai Lama himself in 2011.Registered in Dharamshala, where the Dalai Lama has resided since fleeing Tibet in 1959, the Trust oversees matters related to his spiritual duties. Members include senior Tibetan monks and close aides, with the Dalai Lama himself serving as its head.Senior Trust official Samdhong Rinpoche clarified that the future Dalai Lama could be of any gender and nationality, effectively broadening the potential locations and conditions for the reincarnation search.“They should accordingly carry out the procedures of search and recognition in accordance with past tradition,” the Dalai Lama reiterated.The Gaden Phodrang Trust’s role firmly sidelines any Chinese claim, marking a significant rejection of Beijing’s authority.What they’re saying

The intrigueThe Dalai Lama’s reincarnation question comes amid escalating geopolitical tensions between China and Western democracies, particularly the US, which has consistently criticized Beijing’s human rights record, including in Tibet.US lawmakers have previously vowed not to allow China to influence the Dalai Lama’s successor, passing legislation to back up their stance with potential sanctions against Chinese officials interfering in religious freedoms.While President Donald Trump’s past statements about alliances like Nato have increased anxieties about US commitments abroad, the Tibetan issue remains a rare point of bipartisan consensus in the US, with both parties vowing to prevent Chinese interference.But China’s economic power complicates this resistance. Few world leaders have met the Dalai Lama recently due to Chinese diplomatic pressure, with Barack Obama being the last US president to publicly host him in 2016.The Dalai Lama’s insistence on reincarnation therefore is not only about Tibet’s future, but a broader struggle over the ability of democratic nations to uphold human rights and religious freedoms in the face of Chinese pressure.What’s next?

(With inputs from agencies)

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