Dalai Lama Alone Has Right To Decide On Reincarnation: Rijiju

COMING OUT IN support of the Dalai Lama, Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju said on Thursday that his reincarnation would have to be decided by the "established conventions and the desire of the present Dalai Lama" and "nobody else has the right to decide".

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

In a video statement released on Wednesday, the Dalai Lama had said that the Gaden Phodrang Trust — a non-profit organisation that his office set up in 2011 — would have the "sole authority" to recognise his reincarnation.

China had immediately rejected the succession plan and reiterated that any future heir must receive its seal of approval. "The Dalai Lama's reincarnation must follow the principles of domestic recognition, the 'golden urn' process, and approval by the central government, in line with religious traditions and laws," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning had said.