Dalai Lama turns 88, birthday wishes pour in from around the world

Lalit Mohan

Dharamsala, July 6

The Dalai Lama turned 88 years old on Thursday.

The Tibetan establishment is exile and Tibetans in exiled celebrated the occasion in main temple of The Dalai Lama at Mcleodganj.

Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu attended the birthday celebrations.

The birthday of the Dalai Lama was a special occasion for Tibetans living in Tibet and exile and they celebrated it with fervour.

Followers from across the world, including world leaders, greeted the Dalai Lama on the occasion of his birthday.

Since his self-imposed retirement as temporal head of Tibetans in 2011, The Dalai Lama does not give any political message on the occasion of his birthday.

In 2011, the Dalai Lama had devolved his temporal authority over the Tibetan government in exile to the elected government.

With age catching up, The Dalai Lama despite devolving his temporal authority over the Tibetan government in exile remains a symbol of Tibetan resistance against the Chinese rule in Tibet.

The Tibetan government in exile was pushing for the middle-way policy propagated by The Dalai Lama in 2011 where it was demanded meaningful autonomy under the Chinese sovereignty.

However, the policy has not evoked any response from the Chinese government.

With The Dalai Lama aging, concerns are being expressed over his successor.

The Tibetans in exile fear that owing to large following of the Dalai Lama in Tibet despite the fact that he has been in exile for more than 60 years now, the Chinese government might try to install its own Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of present the 14th Dalai Lama.

The Tibetan government in exile has time and again maintained that The Dalai Lama reserves the right to name his successor.

Recently held convention of world parliamentarians in the US also supported the right of The Dalai Lama to name his successor.