New Delhi, July 5: India said on Friday it does not take a position on the succession of the Dalai Lama, distancing itself from comments by a Union minister backing the Tibetan spiritual leader’s authority to choose his successor, following a sharp warning from China.
In its first official statement on the matter, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the Indian government refrains from involvement in religious affairs and upholds the right to freedom of religion.
“We have seen reports relating to the statement made by His Holiness the Dalai Lama about the continuation of the Dalai Lama institution,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters. “The Government of India does not take any position or speak on matters concerning beliefs and practices of faith and religion.”
The statement came a day after Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said only the Dalai Lama has the right to decide on the issue of his succession. Rijiju, a practising Buddhist who is attending the Dalai Lama’s birthday celebrations in Dharamshala, later clarified he was speaking “as a devotee” and not on behalf of the government.
His remarks triggered a strong reaction from China. In a statement issued in Beijing on Friday, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it hoped India would “stop using Tibet issues to interfere in domestic affairs and avoid affecting the development of ties.”
The exchange comes amid a thaw in bilateral relations between New Delhi and Beijing, following a prolonged military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) that was resolved in October last year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping have since held discussions aimed at restoring ties.
The latest row centres on a statement by the 14th Dalai Lama, who turns 90 on July 6, in which he said the Gaden Phodrang Trust – established by him – would identify his reincarnation in consultation with other Buddhist leaders. The announcement signals his clearest rejection yet of China’s claim to control the succession process.
Beijing insists that any successor to the Dalai Lama must be approved by the Chinese government through a process involving a centuries-old “golden urn” ritual dating back to the Qing dynasty.
“I speak as a follower, I am a devotee,” Rijiju said on Friday. “Those who believe in His Holiness the Dalai Lama all want that he should decide matters according to his wishes. The Government of India or I don’t need to comment.” India is home to a large Tibetan exile community, including the Dalai Lama, who has lived in Dharamshala since fleeing Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule. Beijing views him as a separatist, a label the Dalai Lama rejects.
