GG News Bureau
Beijing, 4th July: China has strongly objected to Union Minister Kiren Rijiju’s recent comments asserting that only the Dalai Lama and his institution have the authority to decide his reincarnation, calling on India to act “cautiously” on Tibet-related matters to avoid harming bilateral ties.
Rijiju, Union Minister for Minority Affairs and a practising Buddhist, made the remarks ahead of his visit to Dharamshala to attend the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday celebrations. “No one has the right to interfere or decide who the successor of His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be. Only he or his institution has the authority to make that decision,” he said, contradicting China’s long-standing position.
In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning urged India to “be clear about the anti-China separatist nature of the 14th Dalai Lama” and honour its commitment on “Xizang-related” (Tibet) issues. Mao reiterated that the selection of the Dalai Lama must follow Chinese laws, religious rituals, and historical conventions, including approval from Beijing.
Reacting to the controversy, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a statement distancing the government from Rijiju’s remarks.
“The Indian government does not take any position or speak on matters concerning beliefs and practices of faith and religion,” the MEA stated, adding, “The government has always upheld freedom of religion for all in India and will continue to do so.”
The current Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet after a failed uprising in 1959 and has lived in India since, reiterated earlier this week that only the Gaden Phodrang Trust, which he established, will determine his successor. He also said his reincarnation would take place outside China, defying Beijing’s claim over the process.
China, citing imperial-era customs, insists on selecting the next Dalai Lama through its system involving the “golden urn” method, asserting that the 14th Dalai Lama himself was approved by the then central government under these traditions.
The comments from both sides come at a time when India-China relations are showing signs of improvement after a period of deep freeze following the deadly 2020 Galwan clash. Recent high-level meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping have led to cautious diplomatic thaw, marked by steps such as the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra for Indian pilgrims.
Kiren Rijiju, along with Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, will be representing the Government of India at the birthday celebrations in McLeodganj, home to the Tibetan government-in-exile. While the visit is intended as a gesture of cultural respect, it has drawn renewed scrutiny amid geopolitical sensitivities surrounding Tibet.
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