Next Dalai Lama from free democratic country, not China: Arunachal CM Pema Khandu

New Delhi: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has said the next Dalai Lama will be from a free and democratic country and definitely not from China.

He, however, said the process of selecting the next Dalai Lama starts only after an incumbent passes away and hoped and prayed the 14th Dalai Lama will live for another 40 years.

"In fact, as I said, His Holiness' health is very good. And this time too -- on the occasion of his 90th birthday celebration -- His Holiness said that he will live to be around 130 years old. So we all pray and I am very hopeful that he will live to be 130," Khandu said in an interview with PTI Videos on Tuesday.

The chief minister, who is a follower of the Dalai Lama and a Buddhist, said he doesn't know the process of how the next Dalai Lama will be selected, how it will happen or the details but there is established procedure.

"The entire rules are set, all procedures are set. There's no point in speculating about it now. There is no point now in speculating where he will be born, in which region, whether it will be in India or Tibet. On this issue, there is only one clarity, which His Holiness has perhaps said in an interview, that the next Dalai Lama will be born in a free world," he said.

Asked whether he was indicating that the next Dalai Lama would not be from China and could be from somewhere else, Khandu said, "Yes, definitely not from China because there is no democracy there." "So wherever there is democracy... it can be anywhere in the world where there is democracy," he said.

When pointed out that Tibet is also under Chinese rule, the chief minister responded, "That is why, I am not saying specifically it would be from this country or that country." "It would be a bit immature for us to say this right now. But this much is certain... where there is democracy, where people have their freedom, can express their views. I think there is clarity on that," he said.

The chief minister said the Gaden Phodrang Trust will carry out the search for the next Dalai Lama.

"The search for the 15th Dalai Lama... the entire process will begin only after the present Dalai Lama passes away. So there is no hurry in this," he said.

On China’s objection to the Dalai Lama’s succession issue, Khandu said, “I don’t know why China is objecting to it. They must have their own policy. There is no Dalai Lama institution in China. The Dalai Lama institution is recognised mainly in the Himalayan belt and by the Tibetan Buddhists. China has no role in it.” The chief minister said the Dalai Lama institution has been continuing for over 600 years, from the first Dalai Lama to the current 14th.

He said there was speculation about whether the Dalai Lama institution would continue and if the next Dalai Lama could be a woman.

"Before the 90th birthday of the 14th Dalai Lama, all heads of Buddhist traditions met and confirmed the institution will continue,” he said.