As China Warns India on Dalai Lama Remarks, MEA Says ‘No Position’
New Delhi: After China objected to Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju’s endorsement of the Dalai Lama’s authority to choose his successor, India said on Friday (July 4) that it “does not take any position” on matters of faith, even as Rijiju clarified he was “speaking as a follower” and not “on behalf of the Government of India”.
The clarification came as Beijing reacted sharply to Rijiju’s earlier remarks earlier in the day. At the daily media briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning warned that India “should stop interfering in China’s internal affairs” to avoid harming the trajectory of bilateral ties.
“India should be clear about the anti-China separatist nature of the 14th Dalai Lama and honour its commitments on Xizang (Tibet) related issues,” Mao said, according to PTI.
“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,” she added.
In an official response, the MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that he was aware of “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,” he said, clearly not endorsing the Dalai Lama’s plans. He added, “Government has always upheld freedom of religion for all in India and will continue to do so.”
On Thursday, Rijiju had said that no one else, besides the Dalai Lama, had the right to make a decision on his next reincarnation. China had responded to the Dalai Lama’s succession plans by asserting that any reincarnation must receive approval from Beijing.
Speaking to reporters in Delhi on Friday, Rijiju emphasised that his views were personal. “I do not want to react to China’s statement,” he said. “I am speaking as a follower. I am a devotee.”
He continued: “I believe in His Holiness the Dalai Lama. So from that perspective, I am saying that all over the world, those who believe in Dalai Lama ji wish that Dalai Lama ji himself will decide [on reincarnation]. This is the wish of the followers.”
“I am not speaking on behalf of the Government of India or in response to the Chinese government’s statement,” he clarified. “I am not speaking on anyone’s behalf.”
This month, Indian external affairs minister S Jaishankar will be going to China to take part in the SCO foreign ministers meeting which begins on July 13. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to take part in the SCO leaders’ summit later this year.
While news agencies reported on the Chinese foreign ministry’s response, it was not mentioned in the transcript of the media briefing uploaded on its website.
The controversy follows a statement issued on Wednesday, just days before his 90th birthday, by the Dalai Lama, in which he laid out his long-anticipated succession plans.
On Wednesday, just days before his 90th birthday, the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism had outlined his succession plans in a long-anticipated statement.
“I am affirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue,” he said in a video message delivered in Tibetan. “I hereby reiterate that the Gaden Phodrang Trust has sole authority to recognize the future reincarnation. No one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter.”
Chinese ambassador to India Xu Feihong wrote on social media that the selection must be carried out through the “Golden Urn lottery procedure”. While Beijing had ‘exempted’ the current Dalai Lama from this process, Xu said, his successor “must follow the process that consists of search and identification in China, lot-drawing from the Golden Urn” and secure “central government approval”.
Rijiju, a practising Buddhist from Arunachal Pradesh, has long expressed reverence for the Dalai Lama. His presence at the birthday celebrations as a Union minister is not unusual. However, his explicit endorsement of the Dalai Lama’s position on reincarnation had raised eyebrows, as till now, India had always refrained from commenting on his succession.
India, which has hosted the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile since 1959, has typicsally described him as “a revered religious leader” who is “accorded all freedom to carry out his religious activities” in the country. This line has consistently been used to respond to Chinese protests, particularly regarding his visits to Arunachal Pradesh.
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