From a Free Tibet to a divided one, in New Delhi's Majnu ka Tila, expectations and apprehensions around the next Dalai Lama run high

Indian Express

6 hours ago

Ladakh. Manali. Dharamshala. Somewhere in Mongolia; maybe even some province in Canada — for the Tibetan refugees living and working in Delhi's famous Majnu ka Tila, the possibilities about the next reincarnation of the Dalai Lama's place of birth are endless. The one thing they can agree on? He will be born in a free land.
On Wednesday, the 1988 Nobel Peace laureate announced that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue and that his successor would be identified, after his death, solely by the trust founded by him – Gaden Phodrang. Since being exiled in 1959, he has been fighting Beijing. In the battle of succession too, China has staked a claim repeatedly.
Jamyang, 42, a chef, baker and business owner, says, 'They know and we know, this is all about politics for them. In China, they are not even religious. How can you intervene in something you don't even understand? They can keep pushing their agenda but Tibetans will not believe them.'
In many ways, in the New Aruna Nagar colony, grief and faith reside together. 'I have not seen my parents, siblings and relatives since 1998. I haven't even been able to get on a call with them in years since the Indian government banned WeChat in 2020,' Jamyang says. The youngest of six children, his parents paid 1000 Chinese yen, all they had to spare, to someone who smuggled Tibetans looking to escape to India. At nine years old, Jamyang, along with 42 other children, travelled for over 15 days to enter the country. Yet, his faith is unwavering. He staunchly believes the 15th Dalai Lama will be born with Indian citizenship. 'In my nine years there, I never once saw Tibet's flag. There is no right to pray, to study, to speak. They break families apart. They knew they would miss me, but my parents had to send me away.'
Tsering, 37, a cook currently residing in France, visiting India, echoes the same grief, 'We are refugees. We were born refugees, meant to be outsiders, always.' In France, he says, chuckling, 'ironically, I work in a Chinese restaurant. But don't worry, I take their case all the time.' He applauds the unity he sees around him, but thinks big changes are on the way: 'In Tibet, I am afraid, this contest with China is going to cause a big divide. We are looking at an India-Pakistan-like situation there,' he says.
But all are not without hope. RWA general secretary Dawa Tsering, 55, is a fourth generation migrant and believes that Tibet and Tibetans will stay united in the face-off against Beijing. He says, 'In my lifetime, as the new incarnation of the Dalai Lama grows into himself and he and us all represent the Tibetan cause, Tibet will be free.'
Most of his neighbours agree with him. As the 14th Dalai Lama's 90th birthday approaches, a buzz is in the air, and his name is on everyone's name. This Sunday, in lieu of celebrations for the spiritual and religious leader's birthday, the colony will remain closed for business half the day. Roma, 41, owner of a streetside laphing stall, says that despite being Assamese and a Hindu by birth, around 17 years ago, she converted to Buddhism because she was enchanted by the rituals of the Tibetan Buddhists. She says, 'I am excited. I have no clue about the conflict between China and Tibet over the next Dalai Lama, but we will celebrate him, pray, sing, dance and cook.' Her response to the question of the new Dalai Lama's birth is: 'He has to take human form, somewhere in this world. That is what matters, we get to talk to God in human form everyday. The form is irrelevant.'