Dalai Lama to give up political role

The Dalai Lama on Thursday announced he would step down as political head of Tibetan government-in-exile but will remain as spiritual leader and continue to advocate “meaningful autonomy” for Tibet.

The 75-year-old Nobel Peace Laureate, who has been at the forefront of a six-decade-long struggle for freedom of Tibetans, also said he would hand over his “formal authority” to a “freely-elected” leader.

The Dalai, who will retain the more significant role of Tibet’s spiritual leader, made it clear that he was committed to playing his part for the “just cause” of Tibet. Making the announcement in his speech on the 52nd anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising Day here, he said he will formally propose to the Tibetan parliament in-exile on Monday to make necessary amendments to the Charter for Tibetans–in-Exile reflecting his decision to devolve his “formal authority” to an elected leader.

“As early as the 1960s, I have repeatedly stressed that Tibetans need a leader, elected freely by the Tibetan people, to whom I can devolve power. Now, we have clearly reached the time to put this into effect,” the Dalai, who had escaped to India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, told hundreds of exiled Tibetans at the Main Temple in this hill resort.

The new Parliament will be elected when Tibetans across the world will vote on March 20. By devolving his powers, the Dalai hopes to give the prime minister greater clout as the region seeks autonomy from China. In a quick response, China said the talk of retirement “are his (Dalai) tricks to deceive the international community.”

“The Dalai is a political exile unde a religious cloak long engaged in activities aimed at splitting China,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesmwoman Jiang Yu said. “The government-in-exile is an illegal political organistion and no country in the world recognises it,” she added.

The Dalai has lived in exile in Dharamsala since 1959. Earlier, he expressed his intention to step down as political head, but this is the first time he is publicly making his intention clear and asking the Tibetan people to accept his decision. The Tibetan leader said ever since he made his intention to retire from active politics, he has been receiving repeated requests both from within and outside Tibet to continue to provide leadership. “My desire to devolve authority has nothing to do with a wish to shirk responsibility. It is to benefit Tibetans in the long run. It is not because I feel disheartened. Tibetans have placed such faith and trust in me that as one among them I am committed to playing my part in the just cause of Tibet,” he said in his 15-minute speech in Tibetan language.

His speech made it clear that he would not be withdrawing from public life and will continue to remain “committed to playing my part in the just cause of Tibet.”

Hundreds of people had gathered at the temple to pay tributes to people who laid their lives for the cause of Tibet and listen to the Dalai Lama’s annual speech.