India’s treasure: Dalai Lama

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Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama (L) attends a Long Life Prayer offering ceremony at the Main Tibetan Temple in McLeod Ganj, near Dharamsala on June 30, 2025. Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, gave on June 30, the strongest indication yet that the 600-year-old institution would continue after his death, at prayer celebrations for his 90th birthday. The leader, who turns 90 on July 6, is according to Tibetans the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. (Photo by Sanjay BAID / AFP)

(Dr Pentapati Pullarao)

The Dalai Lama is much in the news as he has reached 90 years. Dalai Lamas are the biggest Buddhists Gurus and have been ruling Tibet as both Kings and as top religious leaders for 600 years. The present Dalai lama is the 14th Dalai Lama. The Dalai lamas have no family, and their successors are chosen after their death by a top religious committee, who select a very young child, who shows great wisdom, divine qualities and connection to the Dalai lama, who died.

Tibet, Buddhism and Dalai lama

  1. In 1951, China grabbed Tibet, claiming that it is their country. No one objected, because Tibet was so remote. In 1951, the population of Tibet was only 11 lakhs and yet the area of Tibet is 75% of India’s area. Tibet has at least 5 rivers, who are among the biggest 10 rivers in the world.   
  2. Buddhism from India spread to Tibet and thanks to the Dalai Lamas, Buddhism survived in Tibet.   Since Tibet was very high and remote, not many invaders went there. It was only in 1951 that China invaded Tibet.
  3. For thousands of years, India had Tibet as its Himalayan neighbor.  Tibet was the best neighbor India could have had. Suddenly, China became a neighbor of India in 1951, and troubles started for India. China became a ferocious enemy and allied with Pakistan to continue their enmity with India. It was a terrible accident of history that China became our neighbor.

Why Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959

After China grabbed Tibet, they kept Dalai lama under House Arrest “and started forcing him to get Tibet to adopt Chinese ways. The Dalai Lama was aware that the China wanted to remove all Tibetan identity. The Dalai Lama resisted the Chinese by 1959, the Dalai Lama understood that Chinese will remove him from Tibet and abolish the position of Dalai lama.  

The Dalai Lama contacted Indian government and sought asylum in India. Secretly, the Dalai Lama fled Tibet and reached India on March 31, 1959. It was a big shock to the Chinese.

The Indian government gave him great respect from March 1959. From that day, China became an implacable enemy of India.

When China grabbed Tibet, its population was only 11 lakhs. Since then, China sent millions of Chinese to Tibet and now the population is 110 lakhs.

The Chinese are always nervous that the traditional titular head of Tibet is alive and in India. The Chinese know that the Dalai Lama reminds the world that China grabbed Tibet. The Chinese have been trying to finish the legacy and charisma of the Dalai lama. But the Dalai Lama has survived and won great respect across the world.

Dalai lama’s successor

The Chinese felt that once this Dalai Lama dies, Tibetans will forget him. But now that the Dalai Lama has announced that there will be a successor, China is worried. It means there will be continuity and Tibetans across the world will look up to Dalai Lama as the real leader and that China grabbed Tibet.

China trying to find another successor to Dalai Lama:

As per the 600-year tradition, once the Dalai Lama dies, a high religious Committee will search for a child, who was born after Dalai Lama dies, who shows great wisdom and memory of the Dalai Lama who just died. The Chinese have officially just announced that unless they give their approval, there can be no Dalai Lama.  But the present Dalai Lama said that China has no role in deciding who the next Dalai Lama is.  

China upset with Dalai lama

As long as the institution of Dalai Lama continues, China knows that Dalai Lama is like a spear in China’s heart. The Chinese are naturally furious that India has given refuge to the Dalai Lama in 1959. The Chinese wanted India to arrest Dalai Lama at the border and send him back to China.

India has a great tradition of giving asylum to people. When the Parsis fled Persia, Christians and Jews fled Arab countries thousands of years ago, they came to India. Just recently, in 2023, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was given asylum in India, when no other country was ready to save her.

How Dalai lama helps India

  1. The dispute between India and China concerns the original borders with Tibet.  But the traditional head of Tibet, the Dalai Lama, is in India and he supports India.  China’s claims of land on our borders looks foolish as the rightful leader of Tibet, Dalai Lama is not claiming any Indian land.  
  2. India has only given asylum to Dalai Lama. India has not recognized Dalai Lama as the real ruler of Tibet. If India does that, it will be very embarrassing for China. The Dalai Lama is a big asset for India.
  3. The Dalai lama is a very popular figure across the world. India’s prestige has gone up as Dalai lama lives in India.

The future of Dalai lama

Lakhs of Tibetans have fled Tibet and settled in India and across the world. The recognize only Dalai lama as their ruler. As long as the Dalai lama continues the highest traditions of religion and leadership, the identity of Tibet will remain. China is continuously worried about Tibet.

The Dalai Lama will be 90 years on July 6, 2025. The Dalai Lama has already set in motion his successor as per ancient Tibetan traditions. This is a big setback for China. Uniquely, the present Dalai Lama has interacted with every Indian government, right from Nehru’s government to Narendra Modi’s government. That is a record which no other person has!

(Author is political analyst based in New Delhi)

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