As India and the Dalai Lama prepare to celebrate his 90th birthday, grand events are underway in Dharamsala, with devotees and dignitaries gathering to honour the Tibetan spiritual leader. While rooted in spiritual reverence, the celebrations carry a strong political and diplomatic undertone amid ongoing tensions with China.
The birthday celebrations are being held in McLeodganj, Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh. “I believe I have received the blessings of Avalokiteshvara for a long life. I have already done my utmost. I hope to live another 30–40 years. May your prayers be fruitful,” the Dalai Lama said.
The 14th Dalai Lama of Tibetan Buddhism was named Tensin Gasto. Whether there will be a successor has been a hot debate for some time. When the birthday celebrations began, the Dalai Lama had made it clear that the tradition would continue. Negotiations heated up as the Chinese government responded that the Dalai Lama needed the government’s approval. The Dalai Lama replied that the expatriate government in Dharamshala of the Tibetan community had the power to declare the new Dalai Lama and that no one else should interfere in it.
But India is sending a strong message through its participation in the Dalai Lama’s birthday celebrations and its stance on the election of the next Dalai Lama. India is responding to China in a strong language by inviting leaders from Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing calls South China, to participate in the Dalai Lama’s birthday celebrations. Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, and Hollywood actor Richard Gere will participate. India’s strong stance on this has now been made clear.
Speaking to media, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju asserted that the Dalai Lama is a religious leader, and the Indian government believes in not interfering in religious matters. He added that people around the world benefit from the Dalai Lama’s wisdom. “Dalai Lama institution is purely religious and the government of India believes there should be no interference in religious matters… I would like to wish His Holiness a long life… All his devotees desire to see him healthy so that the global community can benefit from his wisdom,” Rijiju said.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju also met and received blessings from His Eminence Tenzin Wangchen, the 10th Lhagyala Rinpoche, during his visit to Dharamshala. In a post on X, Kiren Rijiju wrote, “Met and received blessings from His Eminence Tenzin Wangchen, the 10th Lhagyala Rinpoche at Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.”
On July 2, the Dalai Lama stated that the Gaden Phodrang Trust, a foundation established by him, can only recognise future reincarnations, and no one else has the authority to decide on the matter. This statement rules out any say for China in the process of naming the next Dalai Lama.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Dalai Lama stated, “The process by which a future Dalai Lama is to be recognized has been clearly established in the 24 September 2011 statement which states that responsibility for doing so will rest exclusively with members of the Gaden Phodrang Trust, the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. They should consult the various heads of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions and the reliable oath-bound Dharma Protectors who are linked inseparably to the lineage of the Dalai Lamas. They should accordingly carry out the procedures of search and recognition in accordance with past tradition.”
“I hereby reiterate that the Gaden Phodrang Trust has sole authority to recognise the future reincarnation; no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter,” he added.
But China had come forward to oppose this, and India had strongly rejected it at the time. India has issued a firm and unambiguous message supporting the Dalai Lama’s right to choose his own successor, denouncing China’s interference as unacceptable. New Delhi has categorically stated that China’s approval is not required to select or announce the next Dalai Lama. India’s position sends a strong diplomatic message to China, denouncing its expansionist ambitions and authoritarian attempts to control religious institutions beyond its borders. By standing with the Dalai Lama, India has reinforced its support for religious freedom, cultural dignity, and human rights, values directly threatened by China’s interventionist policies.
As the 14th Dalai Lama prepares to celebrate his 90th birthday, his legacy stands reaffirmed not just by his followers worldwide, but also by the Indian government, which has drawn a clear line in support of Tibetan self-determination and against Chinese political coercion. India’s increased participation in birthday celebrations is also a big warning to China.
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