'Authoritarian strategy cloaked in...': Indian entrepreneur responds to Chinese envoy on Dalai Lama
China has asserted that it alone will approve any future Dalai Lama under what it describes as an established legal and religious process
- Jul 10, 2025,
- Updated Jul 10, 2025 7:28 PM IST
An Indian entrepreneur on Thursday criticised Chinese Ambassador Xu Feihong's defence of Beijing's role in overseeing the reincarnation of Tibetan Buddhist leaders, calling it "a coercive attempt to subjugate Tibetan Buddhism" and accusing China of "cloaking an authoritarian strategy in the language of legalism and secular governance."
Ati Ranjan's statement came after Xu, in a detailed post, asserted that the Chinese government merely performs an administrative role in matters of reincarnation.
Earlier today, Xu wrote, "Secular governments manage religious affairs in accordance with laws and regulations, safeguarding the lawful rights and interests of religious believers… The government does not interfere in internal religious affairs."
In a point-by-point rebuttal, Ranjan challenged both the logic and the legitimacy of that position. "The Chinese government's involvement in reincarnation is a coercive attempt to subjugate Tibetan Buddhism and neutralise one of its most powerful spiritual institutions," he wrote.
"No atheist regime can claim moral authority over deeply sacred and metaphysical processes like reincarnation—least of all when its record shows consistent suppression rather than protection of religious freedom."
Ranjan further said that using secularism to justify state control over reincarnation was a misrepresentation: "Secularism in most democracies protects religious autonomy, not state authority over spiritual matters. Claiming administrative oversight while installing state-approved reincarnations like the Panchen Lama reveals direct interference, not neutrality."
He also rejected the Chinese Ambassador's claim that religious communities support the state-led system. "The claim that religious communities support this system is misleading, especially under a regime known for surveillance, censorship, and suppression of dissent."
Calling the Communist Party's atheist ideology "inherently unqualified" to validate reincarnation, Ranjan argued that China's policy amounted to political control, not religious respect. "Reincarnation is a sacred, metaphysical process rooted in centuries of Tibetan Buddhist tradition—not a bureaucratic procedure to be ‘reviewed’ by a political body," he stated.
"The true motive is clear: to control religious succession and dilute the influence of figures like the Dalai Lama."
Ranjan concluded by linking the issue to broader violations of religious freedom in Tibet: "This undermines religious freedom and erodes the cultural identity of Tibet. International norms reject such interference in spiritual affairs."
Xu's remarks came amid renewed attention on the succession of the current Dalai Lama, who has insisted that only the Gaden Phodrang Trust — set up by his office in 2015 — will have the authority to identify his reincarnation.
China, however, continues to assert that it alone will approve any future Dalai Lama under what it describes as an established legal and religious process.
An Indian entrepreneur on Thursday criticised Chinese Ambassador Xu Feihong's defence of Beijing's role in overseeing the reincarnation of Tibetan Buddhist leaders, calling it "a coercive attempt to subjugate Tibetan Buddhism" and accusing China of "cloaking an authoritarian strategy in the language of legalism and secular governance."
Ati Ranjan's statement came after Xu, in a detailed post, asserted that the Chinese government merely performs an administrative role in matters of reincarnation.
Earlier today, Xu wrote, "Secular governments manage religious affairs in accordance with laws and regulations, safeguarding the lawful rights and interests of religious believers… The government does not interfere in internal religious affairs."
In a point-by-point rebuttal, Ranjan challenged both the logic and the legitimacy of that position. "The Chinese government's involvement in reincarnation is a coercive attempt to subjugate Tibetan Buddhism and neutralise one of its most powerful spiritual institutions," he wrote.
"No atheist regime can claim moral authority over deeply sacred and metaphysical processes like reincarnation—least of all when its record shows consistent suppression rather than protection of religious freedom."
Ranjan further said that using secularism to justify state control over reincarnation was a misrepresentation: "Secularism in most democracies protects religious autonomy, not state authority over spiritual matters. Claiming administrative oversight while installing state-approved reincarnations like the Panchen Lama reveals direct interference, not neutrality."
He also rejected the Chinese Ambassador's claim that religious communities support the state-led system. "The claim that religious communities support this system is misleading, especially under a regime known for surveillance, censorship, and suppression of dissent."
Calling the Communist Party's atheist ideology "inherently unqualified" to validate reincarnation, Ranjan argued that China's policy amounted to political control, not religious respect. "Reincarnation is a sacred, metaphysical process rooted in centuries of Tibetan Buddhist tradition—not a bureaucratic procedure to be ‘reviewed’ by a political body," he stated.
"The true motive is clear: to control religious succession and dilute the influence of figures like the Dalai Lama."
Ranjan concluded by linking the issue to broader violations of religious freedom in Tibet: "This undermines religious freedom and erodes the cultural identity of Tibet. International norms reject such interference in spiritual affairs."
Xu's remarks came amid renewed attention on the succession of the current Dalai Lama, who has insisted that only the Gaden Phodrang Trust — set up by his office in 2015 — will have the authority to identify his reincarnation.
China, however, continues to assert that it alone will approve any future Dalai Lama under what it describes as an established legal and religious process.