Dalai Lama reincarnation: Contest over the soul of Tibet
As the 14th Dalai Lama celebrates his 90th birthday on July 6, all eyes are on his expected announcement on his reincarnation. He, himself, stated that the 15th Dalai Lama would be found in the 'free world'. China, which 'liberated' Tibet in 1951 with a military invasion, on the other hand, declared its intention to select the next Dalai Lama through a 'golden urn' lottery process. Beijing hopes to create some confusion among the Tibetans on the issue of the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. It had done the same in the case of Panchen Lama, the second-highest monk after the Dalai Lama in Tibetan Buddhism. China expects the move will also pave the way for its unbridled influence over Tibet. Earlier, in 1995, when the Dalai Lama recognised Gedhun Choekyi Nyima as the 11th Panchen Lama, China put him under house arrest and, instead, selected Gyaltsen Norbu for the position through a "golden urn" process. Gyaltsen Norbu today occupies important political positions in communist China. He is a member of the standing committee of China's People's Political Consultative Conference and the vice president of the Buddhist Association of China. He is also seen touring Tibet and meeting political leaders of China..Dalai Lama @90: The monk who still scares the dragon.China, since President Jiang Zemin's time, stated that it will resort to the "golden urn" process in the case of the 15th Dalai Lama as well. Moreover, in August 2020, the Tibet Forum Meeting – one of the highest decision-making bodies in communist China – declared 'sinicisation' of Tibetan Buddhism to convert all aspects in Tibet into Han Chinese practices with socialist interpretations, despite the promises of it made in the 1951 17-point agreement for the autonomy of Tibetans. The Dalai Lama would not like to see Chinese-induced chaos destroying the Tibetan identity and way of life. In 2011, the Dalai Lama transferred his temporal powers to the popularly elected Sikyong (the prime minister). The exiled Tibetans, since then, took part in the elections of the Sikyong thrice, while Tibet under China had never witnessed popular elections. China's concern is also that, despite its seven decades of tight rule over Tibet since 1951 and assimilation policies, an estimated 97% of Tibetans in Tibet still revere the 14th Dalai Lama. China shudders to think of Tibet slipping from its tight embrace. Spiritually, the Dalai Lama's declaration on his 90th birthday is expected to be endorsed by the key head monks from Mongolia (the originator of the Dalai Lama institution) and those now living in India, Nepal, Bhutan and other countries. The Dalai Lama also has significant influence in the United States (which passed the Tibet Policy and Support Act of 2020 and Tibet Reciprocity Act of 2018), the European Union, Japan, Australia and other countries. Such a contest over the future Dalai Lama has ramifications for not only the Tibetan community but also to the trans-Himalayan belt. With its $19 trillion GDP, China intends to influence the region through infrastructure connectivity and military mobilisation, while the Dalai Lama wants to protect the soul of Tibet and his people..Dalai Lama says his successor to be born outside China.For India, which had borders with Tibet historically, the Dalai Lama's succession creates uncertainties along the current borders, as the Galwan clashes in 2020 and the current full-scale border mobilisation indicate. India also has to factor China's 628 dual-use 'well-off society' villages in the border areas, as nearly 200 such 'villages' were constructed on the path of the Dalai Lama's flight in 1959. Besides, India is also aware of the irredentist Chinese claims on not only Tawang but also the whole of Arunachal Pradesh. India also has to cope with the fragile trans-Himalayan law and order situation. Despite heavy political and military pressure from China, India has vowed to protect and further the identity of the Tibetans living in India and termed the 14th Dalai Lama as a "spiritual" leader. New Delhi is likely to stick to its position in the case of the 15th Dalai Lama too..(The writer is a Professor of Chinese Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
'The India Way Experience' event in Shanghai showcases India's traditional healthcare and holistic healing heritage
Shanghai [China], June 28 (ANI): In a celebration of India's booming traditional healthcare economy, the Consulate General of India in Shanghai hosted a special event titled 'The India Way Experience,' spotlighting Ayurveda, Yoga, Meditation, and India's holistic healing heritage and innovations, according to a post by India In Shanghai on social media platform X. 'A Global Resurgence. India's booming Traditional Healthcare Economy. A special event celebrating Ayurveda, Yoga, Meditation & India's unparalleled holistic healing heritage and innovations,' the post read. Organised as part of the International Day of Yoga 2025 (#IDY2025), the event also aimed at building a Diaspora Connect and promoting the vision of One Earth, One Health through sustainable and inclusive wellness practices. 'The India Way Experience with a Diaspora Connect for One One Health,' the post added, underscoring India's global leadership in holistic health and traditional medicine. The broader Indian engagement in China this week also included high-level diplomatic and defence dialogues. On Friday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met his Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers Meeting. During the meeting, Singh stressed the need for effective border management and a permanent resolution to the boundary issue by revitalising the existing mechanisms between the two countries. During the meeting, the two leaders held 'in-depth discussions' on the need to maintain peace and tranquillity along the Indo-China border. Rajnath Singh acknowledged the work being undertaken by the two nations to bring back a semblance of normalcy in the bilateral relations, according to the Ministry of Defence press release. Rajnath Singh highlighted the necessity of solving complex issues through a structured roadmap of permanent engagement and de-escalation. He emphasised the need to create good neighbourly conditions to achieve the best mutual benefits and to cooperate for stability in Asia and the world. He called for bridging the trust deficit created after the 2020 Border standoff by taking action on the ground. In a press release, the Ministry of Defence stated, 'The two Ministers agreed to continue consultations at various levels to achieve progress on issues related to disengagement, de-escalation, border management and eventual delimitation through existing mechanisms.' India and China had reached an agreement in October on patrolling arrangements in the Depsang Plains and Demchok, two friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The understanding was reached after earlier disengagement in other friction points in eastern Ladakh following meetings at diplomatic and military levels. During the meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Rajnath Singh appreciated the resumption of the Kailash Manasarovar yatra after a gap of five years. He highlighted the important milestone of reaching 75 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. He also briefed his Chinese counterpart on the terrorist attack carried out against innocent civilians in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22 and India's Operation Sindoor aimed at dismantling the terrorist networks in Pakistan, according to the Ministry of Defence press release. In a post on X, Singh stated, 'Held talks with Admiral Dong Jun, the Defence Minister of China, on the sidelines of the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting in Qingdao. We had a constructive and forward-looking exchange of views on issues about bilateral relations. Expressed my happiness at the restarting of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra after a gap of nearly six years. It is incumbent on both sides to maintain this positive momentum and avoid adding new complexities in the bilateral relationship.' Rajnath Singh gifted a Madhubani painting from Bihar to his Chinese counterpart, General Dong Jun, during their meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers Meeting in China's Qingdao. This painting has its origins in the Mithila region of Bihar. It is also known as Mithila or Madhubani art. It is characterised by line drawings filled in with bright colours and contrasts or patterns. These paintings are popular because of their tribal motifs and use of bright, earthy colours. (ANI)
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
Shimla: Indian Army hosts seminar on Indo-Tibetan heritage; emphasises strategic, cultural, spiritual linkages
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], June 28 (ANI): The Surya Command of the Indian Army on Saturday organised a day-long seminar titled 'Interwoven Roots: Shared Indo-Tibetan Heritage' at the headquarters of the Army Training Command in Shimla. The event brought together a wide spectrum of participants, including the Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel, civil administration officials, Buddhist monks, scholars, students, and civilians to reflect on the enduring civilisational, spiritual, and strategic ties between India and Tibet. Delivering the keynote address, Lt Gen Anindya Sengupta, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), Central Command, highlighted the deeply rooted Indo-Tibetan linkages and stressed the seminar's role in understanding their significance in today's geopolitical context. 'This seminar is a platform to explore the profound historical, cultural, spiritual, and strategic ties that bind India and Tibet. These are two ancient civilisations with interwoven roots that continue to shape a shared identity,' said Lt Gen Sengupta. 'This is not a shared past we're discussing; this is about engaging in meaningful dialogue that will guide our future in light of evolving geopolitical challenges,' he noted. Drawing parallels with a similar seminar held earlier at Nalanda University, the Army commander stated that the Himalayan belt has never been a barrier, as once believed by colonial administrators, but a corridor of civilisation where goods, philosophies, and ideas flowed freely along ancient trade routes like the Silk Route. 'From the diplomatic missions between Nalanda and the Tibetan plateau to the spiritual journeys of Indian masters like Guru Padmasambhava, the Indo-Tibetan exchange has been vibrant and transformational. Even today, the monastic institutions of Himachal Pradesh continue to serve as living repositories of this dialogue,' he said. Speaking on the strategic dimension, he underscored that India's northern borders remain sensitive and require constant vigilance. 'From the 1962 war to the Nathu La clashes, we've seen that the terrain demands not just readiness, but surveillance, technological connectivity, and a nuanced strategy. Our heritage is not just spiritual, but strategic,' Lt Gen Sengupta added. Renowned French scholar and expert on Tibetan affairs Claude Arpi, who also addressed the gathering, delivered a wide-ranging historical and political overview of Indo-Tibetan relations, tracing them from the early Buddhist period to contemporary challenges. He emphasised the importance of Tibetan spiritual traditions and touched upon the sensitive issue of the reincarnation of the 14th Dalai Lama, which he said has global implications. 'Whether the Dalai Lama chooses reincarnation or emanation, that decision lies with him... What we do know is that the Panchen Lama, recognised by Tibetans, disappeared in 1995, and the child named by China was reportedly told to follow a political script. This issue remains unresolved,' he said. 'I've always been wary of politicising reincarnation. China's attempt to decide religious succession, a deeply spiritual matter, undermines the entire system... His Holiness has already said clearly that he will not be reborn in China. He has indicated in his writings that he may reincarnate in a free country, likely India,' Arpi noted. 'From the ancient kingdom of Zhang Zhung and figures like Rinchen Zangpo to the Zorawar Singh expedition in 1841, we must study these as part of our shared political archaeology... The importance of the Kailash Yatra, the role of trade along the Silk Route, and monasteries as centres of diplomacy all speak to our intertwined legacies,' he further added. Arpi also flagged concern over the steady decline in the Tibetan population in India, noting that nearly 40 per cent of Tibetans have left India, and called for stronger efforts to rebuild cultural and strategic links, especially across border regions like Ngari and Western Tibet. A message from the organisers welcomed participants with the aim to 'deepen understanding of the contemporary dimensions of Indo-Tibetan relations, encompassing historical, cultural, and economic linkages.' It stated that the seminar aims to illuminate the shared past, inform the present, and guide the future of these interconnected regions. The seminar concluded with a call to strengthen border area development, promote archaeological research, facilitate archival access, and revive cultural exchanges, including opening new routes for Kailash Yatra, improving local radio broadcasts beyond borders, and preserving endangered Himalayan languages. Both speakers, Lt Gen Anindya Sengupta and Claude Arpi, underlined the need to protect the civilisational ethos that India and Tibet have jointly nurtured and emphasised that this heritage must continue to inform both security policy and cultural diplomacy in a changing global order. (ANI)
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
The World This Week: SCO silent on Pahalgam terror attack; uncertainty looms large amid tenuous Israel-Iran ceasefire; India, US hold final round of trade talks
India refuses to sign the draft statement of the SCO as it omitted reference to the Pahalgam terror attack; uncertainty looms large over West Asia as Iran hints at suspending cooperation with the IAEA amid fragile ceasefire with Israel; Trump claims a ceasefire in Gaza could be reached within a week; NATO leaders agreed to raise defence spending to 5 per cent; India holds a final round of talks with the US before the July 9 deadline; Rwanda and Congo sign a peace deal – here is weekly roundup of key global news. Objecting to the absence of a common standard for terrorism, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh refused to sign the draft statement of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as it omitted a reference to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir but mentioned 'disturbances in Balochistan'. The failure to issue a joint statement after the Defence Ministers' meeting in Qingdao, China from June 25 to 27 doesn't bode well for the 10-member group. The joint statement, which was silent on the Pahalgam attack, nonetheless, mentioned the Balochistan Liberation Army's hijacking of the Jaffar Express in Pakistan. Although the SCO is largely invested towards its founders (China, Russia, and Central Asian states), leaving out the reference to the Pahalgam attack is largely seen against the renewed momentum in India-China relations after the 2020 border standoff, and the SCO chair held by China for 2025. Moreover, the SCO was established in 2001 to enhance regional cooperation on terrorism, and its founding Charter in 2002 underscored the need to build 'mutual intraregional efforts to curb terrorism, separatism and extremism'. Defence Minister Singh underlined that as the world faces an intricate web of challenges, including transnational terrorism, cyber-attacks, hybrid warfare, and other non-traditional security challenges, which do not respect national boundaries, a unified response rooted in transparency, mutual trust and collaboration is needed to address such threats. Since SCO member countries inhabit about 40 per cent of the world's population and contribute around 30 per cent of the global GDP, the creation of a safe, secure and stable region is a collective stake, he added. The meeting of the SCO Defence Ministers took place weeks after Operation Sindoor which India launched on May 7 in response to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam and struck terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). Since then, India took its fight against terrorism global and sent parliamentary delegations to 32 countries, but it did not include any SCO member-country. On the sidelines of the SCO meet, Singh also held bilateral meetings with his Russian and Chinese counterparts, Andrey Belousov and Admiral Dong Jun. Now the attention will be shifted to the SCO Foreign Ministers' meet in July and the SCO Summit in August-September to see how India's concerns are addressed. Amid all this, the broader geopolitical landscape remains tense. While a tenuous ceasefire between Israel and Iran holds after 12 days of war, uncertainty looms large over the ever-volatile region of West Asia, with Iran hinting at suspending cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog and US President Donald Trump asserting he would 'absolutely' consider fresh attacks to curb Tehran's nuclear weapons programme. But a serious concern remains the assessment of damages caused by the US attack on Iran's three nuclear sites – Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan – especially amidst contradictory claims. Preliminary assessments suggested that Operation Midnight Hammer did not destroy Iran's nuclear capabilities and only set it back by a few months, contradicting Trump's claim that the three sites were 'obliterated' and the programme was set back by decades. However, Iran on Wednesday (June 25) for the first time acknowledged that US strikes 'badly damaged' its nuclear installations. 'Our nuclear installations have been badly damaged, that's for sure,' Bloomberg cited Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei as saying during an interview with Al Jazeera TV. He called the US attacks a 'detrimental blow' to international law and the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to which Iran is a signatory. Iran has also approved a Bill to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), according to Al Jazeera. It raises concerns over the status of Iran's 400 kg of enriched uranium — enough material for nearly 10 nuclear bombs — or the condition of its advanced centrifuges, which IAEA inspectors could ascertain if Iran allows them. However, despite being aware of the lack of balance of power, Iran's battle-hardened leadership is unlikely to back down. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei even claimed Tehran won its recent 12-day war with Israel. Iranian-American academic Vali Nasr also argues that since Iran is locked in a battle for survival with Israel and the US, it is unlikely to capitulate and would possibly seek to acquire nuclear weapons as a measure of deterrence. During the 12-day war, Iran's sustained retaliatory attacks against Israel not only exposed vulnerabilities in its vaunted multilayered air defence system but also demonstrated the futility of war in either dismantling its nuclear programme or imposing regime change. The situation turns the spotlight back to diplomacy. But it will not be easier to bring Iran back to the negotiating table as the war has wedged deeper distrust and hardened the positions on both sides. In the meanwhile, amid growing condemnation of Israel's horrific war in Gaza and continued killing of starving Palestinians near aid sites, US President Trump claimed a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas could be reached within a week. Gaza's Government Media Office says revelations in the Israeli media that soldiers were ordered to 'deliberately shoot' starving Palestinians seeking aid supplies are further evidence of 'war crimes' in Gaza, Al Jazeera reported. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz have rejected the report of commanders targeting civilians. But Gaza's Health Ministry has reported that almost 550 Palestinians have been killed near aid sites operated by the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) since Israel partially lifted its total blockade on the strip in late May. The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini says GHF aid distribution sites created 'a killing field'. This view was echoed by the Director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, Chris Doyle, as he told Al Jazeera that food distribution centres are 'death traps'. He also stressed that UN agencies and humanitarian groups have for months warned that operations by the GHF were 'utterly wrong and unworkable'. Meanwhile, ongoing restrictions on the entry of essential medical supplies and fuel have compounded the health crisis in Gaza, the UNRWA has said. According to Gaza's Health Ministry, Israel's war on Gaza has killed at least 56,331 people and wounded 132,632. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the October 7 attacks, and more than 200 were taken captive. Al Jazeera's Nour Odeh, reporting from Amman in Jordan, also said that talk of a 'ceasefire in Gaza increased exponentially after the ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Israel does not want to talk about ending the war. In fact, the Israeli prime minister would be risking a lot if he did.' But, she added, there is an understanding, according to many reports, that Netanyahu would have to agree to some sort of ceasefire in exchange for normalisation deals with Arab states, which the Trump administration has promoted. Hamas, on the other hand, requires that Israel stop its war on Gaza and that the Israeli military withdraw from areas it seized in Gaza after breaking the last ceasefire in March. 'Hamas also wants US guarantees that negotiations would continue and that Israel wouldn't break the ceasefire again if more time was needed for negotiations,' Odeh added. Amid pressure from US President Trump and his stance on the Russia-Ukraine war, NATO leaders agreed to raise defence spending to 5 per cent of their countries' economic output by 2035 and expressed their 'ironclad commitment' to come to each other's aid if attacked. The 32 leaders of member countries endorsed the final summit statement saying: 'Allies commit to invest 5 per cent of GDP annually on core defence requirements as well as defence- and security-related spending by 2035 to ensure our individual and collective obligations.' However, Spain, which had allocated 1.24 per cent of its GDP in 2024 to defence spending, announced it would not adhere to this target, earning Trump's ire and the potential for Spain-specific trade sanctions. The summit was held in The Hague, the Netherlands on 24-25 June. The 'One for All, All for One' principle mentioned in Article 5 constitutes the bedrock of NATO's existence. It says an attack against even one of the members would be considered an attack against all members. NATO was founded by 12 Western countries in 1949 to resist the threat from the communist Soviet Union. NATO's first secretary-general, Lord Ismay, famously declared its goal: 'To keep the Americans in, the Russians out, and the Germans down.' C. Raja Mohan argues that in the post-War order, this formula made sense, but the present moment demands a very different configuration. The reversal of decades-long animosity between the US and Russia has largely upended NATO's stance towards Ukraine. Since 2022, every NATO summit has committed to aiding Ukraine in its war against Russia. Most NATO countries view Russia as a direct and immediate threat. But Trump has paused US military aid to Ukraine in its war against Russia and has ruled out the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO. C. Raja Mohan argues as Trump rethinks US relations with Russia and China, major powers in Europe and Asia will have to rethink their great power relations and look beyond the US security alliances. This recalibration of global power equations coincides with India and the US seeking to finalise a trade agreement. As the July 9 deadline for the reciprocal tariff pause is just days away, Indian trade negotiators are in the US to hold final negotiations for a trade deal. However, market access in agriculture and other sensitive areas remains key sticking points. President Donald Trump on June 26 said the US and India may sign a 'very big' deal 'where we're going to open up India'. According to a person privy to the development, India is likely to face more pressure to accept US demands to avoid reciprocal tariffs. The US and India held the last round of talks earlier this month, which yielded little progress. The two sides are at loggerheads over the US's demand seeking increased market access for its agricultural products, especially soya and corn. Agricultural goods receive high protection in India and have largely remained outside trade agreements. India primarily exports basmati rice, spices, cereals, dairy, and poultry products to the US. Amid the ongoing trade talks, there were reported concerns among some domestic agricultural-based industries about the possible concessions that the deal might entail, especially those related to genetically modified (GM) crops. The US has also flagged a number of non-tariff barriers and high duties in India, but is yet to commit to several Indian demands. In addition to the elimination of the 26 per cent reciprocal tariff, India is seeking duty-free entry for labour-intensive export items such as textiles and footwear in the US. At the same time, India has reduced tariffs on some items, including high-end motorcycles and automobiles, and some other electronics. Official trade data also shows that India's import of crude oil from the US rose 11.49 per cent to $63 billion in March 2025 compared to the previous year. In the meantime, Trump claimed that the US and China have signed a trade deal that will make it easier for American firms to obtain magnets and rare earth minerals from Beijing. 'Part of the agreement was tariffs coming down and rare earth magnets starting to flow back to the US,' Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Friday. The same day, another significant political development was reported from Africa. The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda signed a peace agreement on Friday (June 27), raising hopes for an end to the worst fighting in decades that killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands. The agreement, signed by the two African countries' foreign ministers in Washington, DC, would see Rwandan troops withdraw from eastern Congo within 90 days, according to a copy seen by Reuters. The peace deal is backed by the US and Qatar, and came after a series of talks that followed a meeting between the governments of Congo and Rwanda in March in Doha, Al Jazeera cited a Qatari diplomat as saying. The talks were held amid offensives by Rwanda-backed M23 fighters in which they captured eastern Congo's two largest cities – Goma and Bukavu – and lucrative mining areas earlier this year. The gains by M23 were the latest cycle in a decades-old conflict with roots in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Eastern Congo, on the other hand, has been experiencing the worst conflict since the Second Congo War (1998–2003). The Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly known as Zaire (from 1971 to 1997), is a vast, resource-rich country with an estimated $24 trillion in untapped mineral deposits. US President Trump said, 'We're getting, for the United States, a lot of the mineral rights from the Congo as part of it,' Reuters reported. Send your feedback and ideas to
