India counters China: Only Dalai Lama can choose his successor, says government

In a strong rebuttal to Beijing’s claims over the succession of the 14th Dalai Lama, India July 3 declared that the spiritual leader's reincarnation is solely guided by time-honored religious traditions and the will of the current Dalai Lama — not by any government.

“Reincarnation has to be decided by the established conventions and the desire of the present Dalai Lama. No one else has the right to decide on the next Dalai Lama,” said Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju, ahead of the Tibetan leader’s 90th birthday celebrations in Dharamshala this Sunday.

Rijiju, himself a Buddhist from Arunachal Pradesh, added that the role of the Dalai Lama remains a cornerstone for Tibetan identity and the broader Nalanda tradition of Buddhism.

“It is the most important defining institution for all Tibetans and those who follow the Nalanda tradition,” he noted.

The statement comes amid growing tensions between India and China over the spiritual succession.

Beijing, which brands the Dalai Lama a separatist, recently reiterated that any future reincarnation must be approved by the Chinese central government.

The Communist Party even claimed that the next Dalai Lama would be chosen via a centuries-old ritual involving a “golden urn.”

But in a direct message on Wednesday, the Dalai Lama himself undercut China’s assertions, declaring that a trust established by him would be the sole body authorized to identify his reincarnation.

He confirmed that the six-century-old institution of the Dalai Lama would continue after his death—entirely independent of Chinese interference.

Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju and Rajeev Ranjan Singh will attend the religious celebration in Dharamshala, which Rijiju emphasized is “purely a spiritual event” and “not a political issue.”

India’s stance reinforces long-held Tibetan Buddhist principles and signals continued resistance to China’s attempt to assert authority over a deeply sacred and global spiritual legacy.