At 90, Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama's succession test begins

The Indian government joins the Tibetan spiritual leader's birthday celebrations amid growing scrutiny over his succession and Beijing exerting pressure to control the reincarnation process

At least two Union ministers, the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, which borders China, and several legislators were present at the 14th Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday celebrations in Dharamshala on Sunday. Messages wishing him a long life and endorsing his decision to entrust the Gaden Phodrang Trust with the sole authority to recognise the reincarnation of the 15th Dalai Lama poured in from around the world. 

However, questions persisted whether India will be able to resist pressure from Beijing on the succession of the Tibetan spiritual leader.

  As the Dalai Lama sat on a dais — with portraits of Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and Martin Luther King Jr in the backdrop — he listened to speeches and solidarity messages from across the world, offering a glimpse into how India might approach the sensitive question of his reincarnation. The Dalai Lama has said his successor would be found in the “free world”.

In a post on X, former Indian foreign secretary Nirupama Menon Rao joined others, including educationist Sonam Wangchuk, in urging the Indian government to confer the Bharat Ratna on the Dalai Lama. “As the 14th Dalai Lama turns 90, the question of succession isn’t just spiritual — it’s a test of India’s moral high ground and realpolitik,” Rao wrote. “Will India quietly uphold Tibetan tradition? Can it protect continuity without provoking China? What does this mean for the Tibetan people living in exile — and those still in Tibet?”

  On the dais in Dharamshala were Union Minister for Parliamentary and Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Panchayati Raj Rajiv Ranjan ‘Lalan’ Singh, alongside Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the stream of wishes and greetings. “I join 1.4 billion Indians in extending our warmest wishes to His Holiness the Dalai Lama on his 90th birthday. He has been an enduring symbol of love, compassion, patience and moral discipline,” the PM posted on X. “His message has inspired respect and admiration across all faiths. We pray for his continued good health and long life.”

  Several Chief Ministers, including Andhra Pradesh’s N Chandrababu Naidu and Sikkim’s Prem Singh Tamang, also sent birthday messages.

  On Friday, Beijing objected to Rijiju’s earlier statement that the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation should follow the wishes of the current spiritual leader. Later, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the government does not take a position on matters concerning religious belief and practice. “The Government of India has always upheld freedom of religion for all in India and will continue to do so,” it stated.

  Rijiju, a Buddhist, later clarified that he was not speaking on behalf of the Indian government nor responding to China’s rejection of the Dalai Lama’s succession plan. “There is no need for me or the government to say anything. Who would be the next Dalai Lama, it will be decided by him,” he said.

  Despite heavy rain on Sunday morning, thousands gathered in the main courtyard of Tsuglagkhang, the Dalai Lama’s temple, to celebrate the occasion. Representatives of various Tibetan Buddhist sects, schoolchildren, performers from different countries and Buddhist devotees from around the world attended the event.

  Seated in front of a nine-tiered birthday cake, the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, said it was the love of the people that inspired him to continue serving all sentient beings. 

In addition to Rijiju, Singh and the Arunachal CM, Sikkim minister Sonam Lama and Hollywood actor Richard Gere addressed the gathering. Former US presidents George W Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama sent video messages.

  US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also sent a message, read at the event by Bethany Poulos Morrison, Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs. “The US remains firmly committed to promoting respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Tibetans,” Rubio said. In an apparent swipe at China, which has rejected the Dalai Lama’s succession plan and insisted any future heir must have its approval, Rubio added: “We support efforts to preserve Tibetans’ distinct linguistic, cultural, and religious heritage, including their ability to freely choose and venerate religious leaders without interference.” 

  The US passed the Tibet Policy and Support Act in 2020, and the Tibet Reciprocity Act in 2018.

  In her social media post, Rao noted the stark stakes of the succession. The Dalai Lama’s succession may now decide: rebirth or quiet erasure, she wrote, adding, “If reborn in India, the country becomes guardian, not by geopolitical declaration, but by quiet dignity, by stewardship of a sacred tradition.” “Quiet choices now will echo for generations,” she added.

  Taiwan, which China claims as its territory, also extended birthday greetings. “On this special occasion, we extend our great appreciation for your dedication to peace and human rights — values that resonate deeply in Taiwan. May you continue to illuminate the world with compassion and wisdom,” Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te, posted on X.

  Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh marked the occasion by recalling the Dalai Lama’s four-hour conversation with then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in Mussoorie on April 24, 1959, where only Foreign Secretary Subimal Dutt and interpreters were present. Ramesh noted that the Dalai Lama then went on an extended tour of the country.

  According to Srikanth Kondapalli, professor of Chinese studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, China hopes to create confusion among Tibetans over the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation to strengthen its grip on Tibet. Beijing has indicated it will use the “golden urn” method to select the 15th Dalai Lama.

  For India, the concern centres on the uncertainties along its border with China, particularly following the Galwan clashes in 2020. Kondapalli noted that China has engineered demographic changes in 628 dual-use “well-off society” villages along the border, including 200 located along the route the Dalai Lama used when fleeing Tibet in 1959.

  “Despite China’s military and political pressure, India has resolved to protect and further the identity of the Tibetans living in India, and reveres the 14th Dalai Lama as a spiritual leader,” Kondapalli said. “New Delhi is likely to stick to its position in the case of the 15th Dalai Lama as well.”