The Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday celebrations have created an international stir and a diplomatic row with Beijing. It has objected to even the prime minister’s wishing him a happy birthday.
The Dalai Lama ever since his migration to India in 1959 along with thousands of his followers, has been an esteemed guest, running a government in exile. This has since been a bone of contention between the two largest countries in the world. For china the Dalai Lama is a living symbol of defiance of its imperialist ambitions and a focus of potential rebellion by its 7 million strong Tibetan population.
The Dalai Lama is more than just a religious leader of the Tibetans, he is the living Buddha and custodian of both their secular and spiritual interests and aspirations. The continuation of the seat of Dalai Lama is a challenge to china’s sovereignty over Tibet both territorial and national. His being hostile and outside its sphere of influence, in a country like India is a bigger concern for it. Therefore china has always expressed its displeasure over Dalai Lama’s status and freedom in India. It has always hoped to either end the tradition altogether or at least have someone from within its territory and influence to be chosen as the next Dalai Lama. The current Dalai Lama has long been aware of this, and doesn’t want to risk Beijing taking over the tradition and manipulating it. The process of choosing the Dalai Lama is complex and involves absolute dedication to the tradition and faith of lamaism. It can easily be manipulated and any puppet can be installed, who even if not accepted by the faithful would eventually erode the seat and that’s exactly what Beijing wants. Entering the 10th decade of his life, he knows he may not lead for long, and he needs to settle the succession issue sooner than later. He said, on the occasion, that he wishes to appoint his successor in his lifetime, which would be totally contrary to the tradition as the next Dalai Lama has to be his reincarnation and therefore born after his death.
Tibet as claimed by the Tibetans is about 2.4 million square kilometers big and borders, India and Central Asia. By claiming Tibet as its integral part, china projects itself as the grand civilization of Asia and the communist china as its legatee. The Dalai Lama contradicts it, and Beijing has no answers for it.
A spiritual theocracy
