'Only Dalai Lama can decide his successor’: India rejects Beijing's say in succession, says decision is solely spiritual

India on Thursday rejected China's claim that Beijing must approve the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, asserting that only the Tibetan spiritual leader has the authority to decide his successor. The response came after China reiterated its long-standing position that the Dalai Lama's succession must take place under Chinese supervision.

"The position of the Dalai Lama is of utmost importance, not just for Tibetans but for all his followers across the world. The right to decide on his successor rests solely with the Dalai Lama himself,” said Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju. He is currently visiting Dharamshala alongside JD(U) leader Lallan Singh to attend events marking the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday.

"This is purely a religious occasion,” Rijiju added, responding to questions about the political overtones of the ongoing succession debate.

The Indian government's position came a day after the Dalai Lama's official office released a statement reaffirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama would continue beyond his lifetime. “The process by which a future Dalai Lama is to be recognised has been clearly established in the 24 September 2011 statement, which states that responsibility for doing so will rest exclusively with members of the Gaden Phodrang Trust,” the statement read.

China, however, maintained its claim of control over the reincarnation process. "The Dalai Lama's succession must comply with Chinese laws and regulations as well as religious rituals and historical conventions,” said Mao Ning, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Chinese government has long insisted that the selection of the next Dalai Lama must happen within China's borders under its authority — a position rejected by the Tibetan exile community and many international observers.

The Dalai Lama, who fled to India in 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese rule, has lived in exile in Dharamshala ever since. Beijing continues to label him a separatist, although he has repeatedly stated that he seeks genuine autonomy for Tibet, not independence. Globally, he is recognised as a symbol of peace, non-violence, and religious freedom.

Many Tibetans fear that Beijing could attempt to install a state-appointed Dalai Lama to assert control over Tibetan Buddhism and further entrench its influence in the region. In a 2011 statement, the Dalai Lama had cautioned that the centuries-old reincarnation system was at "obvious risk" of being manipulated for political ends.

In the same year, he relinquished formal political leadership to an elected Tibetan government-in-exile that represents the approximately 1,30,000 Tibetans living in exile around the world. However, he has continued to play a central spiritual and symbolic role within the Tibetan community and beyond.