Govt does not take position on religious matters: MEA on Dalai Lama succession

A day after Union Minister Kiran Rijiju said that the successor to Dalai Lama will only be decided by the Buddhist leader himself and by established traditions, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday (July 4) said in a statement that the Union Government does not take any position or comments on matters related to religion.

“We have seen reports relating to the statement made by His Holiness the Dalai Lama about the continuation of the Dalai Lama institution. Government of India does not take any position or speak on matters concerning beliefs and practices of faith and religion,” stated MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.

“Government has always upheld freedom of religion for all in India and will continue to do so,” he added.

Also Read: China asks India to be cautious on Tibet issues after Rijiju’s remark on Dalai Lama

What Dalai Lama said

The Dalai Lama on Wednesday said in a statement that the sole authority of recognising his next reincarnation lies with the Gaden Phodrang Trust, putting an end to speculation that after his death China would have a free hand in deciding his successor.

"I hereby reiterate that the Gaden Phodrang Trust has sole authority to recognise the future reincarnation; no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter," he said.

The trust was founded in 2015 by the Dalai Lama to oversee matters related to the institute of the Dalai Lama.

Also Read: 'Next Dalai Lama to be decided by established institution,' asserts Rijiju

China’s reacts to Rijiju’s remarks

Earlier in the day China reacted to Rijiju’s remarks on Dalai Lama’s succession issue stating that India should be clear of the anti-China separatist nature of the 14th Dalai Lama and honour its commitments on Xizang (Tibet) related issues, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters. China refers to Tibet as Xizang.

She also said that India should exercise caution in its words and actions, stop interfering in China’s internal affairs with Xizang-related issues and avoid impact on the improvement and development of the China-India relationship.

Also Read: Why a new Dalai Lama could pose problems for India too

China on succession issue

Dalai Lama’s statement on the succession issue also did not go down well with China which stated that Dalai Lama’s reincarnation must be approved by the Chinese government.

"The reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, the Panchen Lama and other great Buddhist figures must be chosen by drawing lots from a golden urn, and approved by the central government," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.

"The Chinese government implements a policy of freedom of religious belief, but there are regulations on religious affairs and methods for managing the reincarnation of Tibetan living Buddhas," she said.

With agency inputs