Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday, wished Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama long and healthy life on his birthday.
In a tweet, Modi said he spoke on phone to his Holiness the Dalai Lama, to convey greetings on his 86th birthday. “We wish him a long and healthy life," tweeted the prime minister.
Faced with Beijing's assertions that the Communist Party of China would pick and appoint the 15th Dalai Lama, speculation around the 14th Dalai Lama's mortality and reincarnation has gained steam on his birthday once again. The office of the Dalai Lama told THE WEEK that he is in good health and spirits, reiterating his commitment to serving humanity and endorsing Indian values of ahimsa, compassion and truth.
With Dalai Lama ageing, there is a growing unanimity within the government circles and security establishment in New Delhi that the government should come out in open support of Dalai Lama by endorsing his wishes on the appointment of his successor. This essentially means that time has come for the government to block any attempts by an aggressive Beijing, not just on the borders, but also in the appointment of the 15th Dalai Lama.
The reasons are one two many.
Firstly, after having given refuge to the Tibetan spiritual leader for six decades, it would be in India's interest to support him in appointing his successor, which will be in line with the stand taken by New Delhi so far.
''After supporting the cause of the Tibetans for 60 years, if the government withdraws itself, then it would have wasted the entire attempt in the first place to support them. It does not make sense to quit at this stage,'' said a senior official.
Dalai Lama is also the single person who has kept the hope alive of an entire civilization for such a long time without visiting Tibet for years.
Another reason why Dalai Lama's reincarnation is a matter of discussion in political and diplomatic offices in Beijing, Delhi and Washington is because he isn't just a Tibetan spiritual leader and a Buddhist leader but an apostle of peace for the entire world, enjoying the faith and support of millions of people.
''The Dalai Lama is an apostle of peace, and perhaps the only practicing Gandhian today,'' said Amitabh Mathur, former advisor on Tibetan affairs in the Union home ministry.
Further, his contribution to reviving the Nalanda tradition of Buddhism is remarkable and has been recognised by the world today, he said.
Many within the security establishment feel the time has come for New Delhi to play its cards well, lest it loses significance in the entire issue by not capitalising on its own strength—political, spiritual, diplomatic and strategic.
The principle of reincarnation and Dalai Lama's successor has been a matter of deep interest not just for Beijing but Washington which recently passed the Tibet Policy and Support Act, sparking protests by China.
But Tibet watchers in India feel that the US seems to have paid mere lip service to the cause as it is not raising the issue on international forums like G7 where President Joe Biden was joined by world leaders to criticise China for its human rights violations in Hong Kong and Xinjiang, with no mention of Tibet earlier this month.
''There was no mention of Tibet. This shows there was some reluctance on the part of the US and its commitment to the Tibet cause,'' said an official.
On the other hand, India's reluctance to openly support Dalai Lama's wishes on the reincarnation issue stems from the fact that it has followed quiet diplomacy so far. ''We don't need to demonstrate anything. The fact that Dalai Lama is in India is a message in itself,'' said a government official.
However, with an ageing Dalai Lama, this stance may need some tweaking soon.
Meanwhile, the Dalai Lama, on his 86th birthday, reiterated his committed to the Tibetan cause and the Indian values of non violence, compassion and honesty in a video message.
The Dalai Lama said, ''Now I am just one human being. Many people really show they love me. And many people actually love my smile. In spite of my old age, my face is quite handsome. Many people show genuine friendship and on this moment, I want to express my deep appreciation to all my friends who have really shown me love, respect and trust.''
He assured that for the rest of his life, he is committed to serving humanity and protection of climate conditions. ''Since I became a refugee and now settled in India, I fully utilized India's freedom and religious harmony. So I want to assure you that for the rest of my life I am fully committed to the Indian concept of secular values, not dependent on religion but on values of honesty, karuna and ahimsa.''
Dalai Lama also reminded his followers to follow the path of non-violence and compassion. The message was not just for the Tibetans struggling to protect their rights inside Tibet, but for all people and nations at a time when unrest in any region can have a spill over effect on the rest of the world.
