Dalai Lama Speaks

The Chinese have always been afraid of the Dalai Lama. He took refuge in India in 1969 with his followers and established his seat in Northern India in Dharamshala. He and his followers have been consistently seeking justice for the Tibetans. Chinese have been trying to install a puppet Buddhist head so that they can impose regression and repression on the Tibetans. This time His Holiness, the Dalai Lama has spoken about his future successor. The 14th Dalai Lama  has turned 90 and is keen to consult  the senior monks  and share clues about his successor. It is pertinent to mention that the system to choose the Dalai Lama is based on the traditional method of signs and clues of the past life. While substantiating the succession plan the 14th Dalai Lama has said, “ There will be  some kind of a framework within which we can talk  about the continuation  of the  institution  of the Dalai Lama.” Earlier he had said that his successor  will reincarnate in India. Deputy Speaker of  the Tibetan Parliament  in Exile  in Dharamshala, Dolma  Tsering Teykhang  has said that it is important that the world must hear directly from the Dalai Lama about the succession issue. The reason being that China wants to  grab and subvert the institution of the Dalai Lama for political purposes. It is an open secret that China has been indulging in the human rights violations of the Tibetan people for decades now with no respite in sight. It must be noted that China has been at loggerheads on the issue of providing shelter to the Dalai Lama and his people in India and this has turned into a major foreign policy issue. Reacting cautiously to the Dalai Lama’s  announcement . Earlier, China  has reacted  bitterly to the Dalai Lama’s pronouncement. Stating the position of the Indian Government, the spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs has said that  the Indian Government does not take  any position  on matters related to religious practices. China has reacted to the Dalai Lama’s statement by saying that  the spiritual leader’s  reincarnation must  be approved by  the Chinese Government. The Indian position is based on  freedom of religion. Indian response must be seen in the backdrop of the  ongoing efforts to normalise the relations with China. In this context, Union Minister Kiren  Rijiju too has expressed his opinion. He has said that those who follow the Dalai Lama feel that the incarnation is to be decided by the established convention and as per the wish of the Dalai Lama himself. Nobody else has the right to decide it except him and the conventions in place. Whatever be the outcome of this positioning,One thing is clear that the people of Tibet are in a state of crisis.As their politics is guided by religious sanction and over the decades their dignity and right to life has been under constant threat due to Chinese repression. China refuses to recognise their freedom  and has been denying them independence. Tibetans have been able to garner international support for their peaceful movement meant to reclaim their ancestral land and live their life with dignified humans. India has always supported their voice for freedom and dignity.Only time will tell what is in store for Tibetans.