At 90, Dalai Lama's Succession Test Begins

The Indian government joins the Tibetan spiritual leader's birthday celebrations amid growing scrutiny over his succession and Beijing exerting pressure to control the reincarnation process. Archis Mohan reports

- Archis Mohan reports

At least two Union ministers, the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, which borders China, and several legislators were present at the 14th Dalai Lama's 90th birthday celebrations in Dharamshala on Sunday. Messages wishing him a long life and endorsing his decision to entrust the Gaden Phodrang Trust with the sole authority to recognize the reincarnation of the 15th Dalai Lama poured in from around the world.

However, questions persisted whether India will be able to resist pressure from Beijing on the succession of the Tibetan spiritual leader.

As the Dalai Lama sat on a dais—with portraits of Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and Martin Luther King Jr in the backdrop—he listened to speeches and solidarity messages from across the world, offering a glimpse into how India might approach the sensitive question of his reincarnation. The Dalai Lama has said his successor would be found in the "free world."

In a post on X, former Indian foreign secretary Nirupama Menon Rao joined others, including educationist Sonam Wangchuk, in urging the Indian government to confer the Bharat Ratna on the Dalai Lama. "As the 14th Dalai Lama turns 90, the question of succession isn't just spiritual—it's a test of India's moral high ground and realpolitik," Rao wrote. "Will India quietly uphold Tibetan tradition? Can it protect continuity without provoking China? What does this mean for the Tibetan people living in exile—and those still in Tibet?"