India's political landscape is ablaze with activity! From the ongoing debates surrounding the new farm bills and their impact on rural India, to the upcoming state elections shaping the national narrative, the stakes couldn't be higher. Key political figures are maneuvering strategically, with alliances shifting and power dynamics constantly in flux. The opposition's challenge to the ruling party is intensifying, sparking vigorous debates on crucial policy matters including economic reforms and social justice initiatives. Parliamentary proceedings are filled with heated exchanges, reflecting the deep divisions within the nation. This evolving political climate directly impacts the lives of every Indian citizen, influencing everything from economic opportunities to social welfare programs. Stay informed about the latest developments in Indian politics, from crucial legislative decisions to grassroots movements, by exploring Abtak.com for in-depth analysis and breaking news updates. Understanding the intricacies of our political system is crucial; stay engaged, stay informed, and stay ahead.
New Delhi: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, a practicing Buddhist, firmly rebuffed China's claim to control the Dalai Lama's reincarnation process, asserting that only the Dalai Lama and established Buddhist traditions hold the authority to decide his successor. Speaking to reporters ahead of the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday celebrations in Dharamshala on July 6, Rijiju declared, "The Dalai Lama is the most important and defining institution for Buddhists, and only he can determine his reincarnation. No one else has the right to decide it." His remarks, dismissing China's assertions as baseless, have sparked a fresh diplomatic row, with Beijing urging India to "be fully aware" of the sensitivities around Tibet and recognise the Dalai Lama's "anti-separatist nature," according to China's foreign ministry. Rijiju's stance underscores India's long standing support for the Tibetan cause, rooted in its hosting of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government-in-Exile since 1959, when the spiritual leader fled Lhasa following China's brutal suppression of the Tibetan Uprising. The Tibetan cause, centered on preserving cultural and religious autonomy, remains critical as China intensifies its control over Tibetan Buddhism. The 1950 invasion by the People's Liberation Army (PLA), misbranded as the "Peaceful Liberation of Tibet," marked the start of China's annexation, followed by the 1959 massacre in Lhasa, where over 80,000 Tibetans were killed. During China's Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), thousands of monasteries were destroyed, and religious practices were banned, prompting the Dalai Lama to accuse China of cultural genocide. In 1995, China abducted the 6-year-old Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, and appointed its own, Gyancain Norbu, to manipulate Tibetan spiritual affairs. These actions, experts argue, strip China of any moral or legal standing to dictate the Dalai Lama's succession. India's support for Tibetan autonomy aligns with its commitment to religious freedom and human rights, positioning it as a moral counterweight to China's authoritarian overreach. By hosting the Dalai Lama's milestone birthday and endorsing his authority over reincarnation, India signals its resolve to protect Tibetan heritage. "India has a responsibility to amplify Tibetan voices and ensure their cultural identity survives China's oppression," said Tenzin Dorjee, a spokesperson for the Central Tibetan Administration in Dharamshala. However, India must navigate this stance with geopolitical nuance, given its acknowledgment of the One China Policy. As the Dalai Lama, now 90, reaffirms that only he and Tibetan Buddhist leaders can select his successor, India's resolute stance, articulated by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, delivers a powerful rebuke to China's colonial hold over Tibet's spiritual and cultural heart. With the succession dispute intensifying, India must seize this moment to press China harder for Tibetan autonomy, leveraging its position as a sanctuary for Tibetan culture to challenge Beijing's expansionist ambitions. By amplifying the Tibetan cause and rejecting China's overreach, India can curb Beijing's aggressive tendencies, reinforcing its role as a regional defender of human rights and Buddhist heritage and ensure that the Buddha must keep smiling.
DHARAMSHALA, India, - The choice of a successor to the Dalai Lama, the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhists, is a matter of riveting interest not only for followers of his religion, but also China, India, and the United States, for strategic reasons. The Nobel peace laureate, who turns 90 on Sunday, is regarded as one of the world's most influential figures, with a following extending well beyond Buddhism. HOW WAS HE CHOSEN? Tibetan tradition holds that the soul of a senior Buddhist monk is reincarnated after his death. The 14th Dalai Lama, born as Lhamo Dhondup on July 6, 1935, to a farmin ...Read More >
DHARAMSHALA, India - The Dalai Lama will address a major three-day gathering of Buddhist religious figures this week ahead of his 90th birthday, as his followers wait for the Tibetan spiritual leader to share details about his succession in a move that could irk China. Beijing views the Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, as a separatist and says it will choose his successor. The Dalai Lama has said his successor will be born outside China and urged his followers to reject anyone chosen by Beijing. Tibetan Buddhists hold that enlightened monks are ...Read More >
DHARAMSHALA, India: The Dalai Lama said on Wednesday (Jul 2) that he will be reincarnated and that his non-profit institution will have the sole authority to identify his reincarnation, countering China's insistence that it will choose the successor of the Tibetan Buddhist leader. The remarks by the Dalai Lama, who turns 90 on Sunday, end speculation among millions of followers about whether there would be another Dalai Lama after his death. The Nobel peace laureate was speaking during a week of celebrations to mark his birthday which was expected to be closely watched by the US, India and Ch ...Read More >
Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], July 2 (ANI): As the Dala Lama left the decision of his successor to the Gaden Phodrang, leaving no role for the Chinese, Penpa Tsering Sikyong, President of the Central Tibetan Administration, said that the Tibetan people will never accepy China's usage of reincarnation for political gain. 'During the 15th Tibetan religious conference held in Dharamsala... a consensus was reached on the following important points- The core process of recognising the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama is as per the unique Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Hence, we not only stro ...Read More >
DHARAMSHALA, India - The Dalai Lama said on Wednesday his Gaden Phodrang Trust would have the sole authority to recognise his future reincarnation, rejecting any role for China in choosing who succeeds him as the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhists. WHAT IS THE GADEN PHODRANG TRUST? The non-profit was registered in 2011 in the northern Indian town of Dharamshala, where the Dalai Lama is based. Its members include the Dalai Lama, senior monk Samdhong Rinpoche and close aides who work in the Dalai Lama's office in Dharamshala. The Dalai Lama heads the trust and its "alternate chairperson", or ...Read More >
New Delhi: In a significant diplomatic signal, India on Thursday affirmed that the succession of the Dalai Lama will be determined solely by the current Tibetan spiritual leader and through established Buddhist conventions -- a stance seen as a clear rejection of China's attempts to assert control over the process. According to an NDTV report, Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju emphasized that no external power has the authority to interfere in the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Rijiju, who is also a practising Buddhist, said, "The Dalai Lama is ...Read More >
Assam Beef Ban: A political row has erupted over the Assam government's decision to ban the public consumption of beef in the state with the Opposition labelling it "against the right to freedom" while the ruling BJP lauding the state Cabinet's call. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had announced on Wednesday that his government has decided to ban the consumption of beef in restaurants, hotels and public places, drawing sharp reactions from the Opposition. Samajwadi Party MP Iqra Hasan ...Read More >
NEW DELHI (AP) -- Three people died and at least a dozen are feared missing after being swept away in a flash flood triggered by torrential rains in the north Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, local authorities said on Thursday. A rescue operation has been launched to trace the missing, said Dinesh Sharma, a local government spokesperson in Kangra. The town is about 18 kilometres (11 miles) from Dharamshala, a popular tourist destination known for its Tibetan culture and as the home of Tibetan spiritual leader, Dalai Lama. Sudhir Sharma, a lawmaker from Dharamshala, said in a social media po ...Read More >
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed on Saturday that 'socialism' and 'secularism' are "Western concepts", and these words should be struck off the Constitution. He said these words were included in the Preamble of the Constitution by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi when the country was under Emergency rule, and these have no place in the Indian civilisation. "How can I be secular? I am a hardcore Hindu. A Muslim person is a hardcore Muslim person. How can he be secular?" Sarma said. He was speaking after launching a book titled 'The Emergency Diaries: Years That ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is probing from all angles, including sabotage, in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad that killed 274 people on board and on the ground last month, Minister of State (MoS) For Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said. Mohol said the black box of the Air India flight AI 171 that has been recovered is in AAIB's custody and will not be outside the country for a thorough assessment. The MoS was speaking at the Pune chapter of the Emerging Business Conclave. "It (plane crash) was an unfortunate incident. The AAIB has begun a full investig ...Read More >
DHARAMSHALA, India (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has decided to lift aid cuts for Tibetans in exile and provide $7 million in financing for projects such as those supporting health and education, the leader of the Tibetan government in-exile said on Wednesday. The Trump administration started cutting foreign aid after taking office in January as part of its "America First" policy, which has had an impact on programmes including those aimed at securing food supplies and preventing the spread of HIV in some of the poorest parts of the world. Penpa Tsering, leader of t ...Read More >
DEHRADUN, India - Tibetans in exile celebrate the 90th birthday of spiritual leader the Dalai Lama next week, an occasion overshadowed by uncertainty about the future of the role and what it means for their movement. The charismatic Nobel Peace Prize-winning Buddhist -- who Tibetans say is the 14th reincarnation of the 600-year-old post -- will reveal if there will be another Dalai Lama after him. The inevitable change ahead brings wider concerns for Tibetans over the struggle to keep their identity alive after generations in exile, following a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule. The ...Read More >
Srinagar- Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said foreign countries were told clearly during the post-Operation Sindoor diplomatic outreach that in case of a fresh provocation, India would repeat its action. Speaking at a discussion at the Ahmedabad Management Association, Tharoor said Indian delegations which visited foreign countries in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor managed to convey that India acted with restraint and responsibility. "In other places, we actually were able to get some very high-placed people to say not only that they respected and supported India's right of self- ...Read More >
ISKCON Bangladesh has strongly condemned the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, a prominent Hindu leader, and spokesperson for the "Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatani Jagaran Jot" and also issued a list of demands to the Muhammad Yunus-led government for subsequent violence and attacks against Sanatanis in various regions of Bangladesh. The organisation has also issued a statement and called upon the government authorities to promote peaceful coexistence. ISKCON Bangladesh made note of the above points and more matters in a statement issued, regarding the current situation in Bangladesh and the arres ...Read More >
Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], December 11 (ANI): A parliamentary delegation from New Zealand and Fiji on Wednesday highlighted their solidarity with the Tibetan people's ongoing struggle for freedom. The event, which was held on Tuesday, followed the Central Tibetan Administration's official commemoration of the 35th anniversary of the Dalai Lama receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. Also Read | Joe Biden Slams US President-Elect Donald Trump's Tariff Approach, Calls 'Action a Major Mistake'. The delegation, which included New Zealand Members of Parliament (MPs) Joseph Mooney, Ingrid L ...Read More >
MADURAI: Likening the custodial murder of Ajith Kumar in Tiruppuvanam to an 'organised crime by police where the state kills its own citizens,' Madras high court lambasted the Tamil Nadu police and said the action against the perpetrators should be more stringent than in normal murder cases.A division bench of Justice S M Subramaniam and Justice A D Maria Clete pointed to 44 external injuries on the person of Ajith Kumar and said no part of the body was spared by the delinquent cops. "Even an ordinary murderer would not have inflicted such kind of injuries," the bench said on Tuesday.The natur ...Read More >
DHARAMSHALA, India - The Dalai Lama will meet 11 senior Buddhist monks on July 2 morning before delivering a written statement that will "most probably" talk about his eventual succession as the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhists, an official said. Tibetan Buddhists believe that enlightened monks are reborn to continue their spiritual legacy. The 14th Dalai Lama will turn 90 on July 6 and has long been expected to use the occasion to share possible clues on where his successor, a boy or a girl, could be found following his death. Beijing views the Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in 1959 after a ...Read More >
Dharamshala, India/Hong Kong (CNN) -- The Dalai Lama has announced that he will have a successor after his death, continuing a centuries-old tradition that has become a flashpoint in the struggle with China's Communist Party over Tibet's future. Tibetan Buddhism's spiritual leader made the declaration on Wednesday in a video message to religious elders gathering in Dharamshala, India, where the Nobel Peace laureate has lived since fleeing Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese communist rule in 1959. "I am affirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue," the Dalai Lama ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 3 (PTI) In an apparent snub to China, Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday asserted that the decision on the Incarnation of the Dalai Lama would be taken by the established institution and the Dalai Lama himself and no one else. On Wednesday, Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama said that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue and only the Gaden Phodrang Trust will have the authority to recognise his future reincarnation. Talking to reporters here, Rijiju said the Dalai Lama is the "most important and defining institution" for the Buddhists. "And all tho ...Read More >
Silchar: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday visited the flood-ravaged districts of Hailakandi and Sribhumi in the Barak Valley. He assured affected residents of providing timely disbursement of rehabilitation grants and swift repair of damaged infrastructure.This marks Sarma's second visit to the flood-hit region within four days, underscoring the gravity of the situation. Speaking to the media in Sribhumi after inspecting multiple relief camps, the CM said, "Flood-related problems may persist till July. I will return before Durga Puja to ensure that roads and infrastructure ar ...Read More >
HYDERABAD: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday ruled out any talks with Maoists and said the cadre of the proscribed outfit should give up arms, surrender before police, and join the mainstream. Addressing a rally after inaugurating the National Headquarters of the Turmeric Board in Nizamabad in Telangana, Shah also said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is still raising questions on Operation Sindoor, should see the weak appearance of Pakistan to understand the effectiveness of the Operation. "Congress asks (the Centre) to hold discussions with these people (Maoists). Our government's p ...Read More >
DHARAMSHALA, India (AP) -- The Dalai Lama attended a celebration of his 90th birthday according to the Tibetan calendar. The event Monday in honor of the Tibetan spiritual leader was held at the Tsuglagkhang temple complex in Dharamshala, India. This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors. ...Read More >
Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], June 30 (ANI): The main Tibetan temple, Tsuglagkhang, in Himachal Pradesh's Dharamshala, erupted in vibrant festivities on Monday, as devotees and crowds gathered there to celebrate the 90th birthday of the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, the 14th Dalai Lama. The celebration on June 30 is based on the dates as per the Tibetan calendar, whereas, according to the Gregorian calendar, the birthday of the 14th Dalai Lama falls on July 6. Also Read | Laos Job Scam Alert: Cybercrime Centre Reveals Modus Operandi of Fraudsters Luring Indians Into Cybercr ...Read More >
NEW DELHI, 3 Jul: In a snub to China, Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday asserted that the decision on the incarnation of the Dalai Lama would be taken by the established institution and the leader of Tibetan Buddhist himself and no one else. This is the first reaction by a senior government functionary on the comments of the Dalai Lama on his successor. On Wednesday, Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama said that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue and only the Gaden Phodrang Trust will have the authority to recognise his future reincarnation. Talking to reporter ...Read More >
DHARAMSHALA, India: The Dalai Lama will address a major three-day gathering of Buddhist religious figures this week ahead of his 90th birthday, as his followers wait for the Tibetan spiritual leader to share details about his succession in a move that could irk China. Beijing views the Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, as a separatist and says it will choose his successor. The Dalai Lama has said his successor will be born outside China and urged his followers to reject anyone chosen by Beijing. Tibetan Buddhists hold that enlightened monks are ...Read More >
DHARAMSHALA, INDIA: A few days before his 90 birth anniversary, the Dalai Lama has given his followers assurance that his spiritual ancestry will last beyond his death. In an authoritative video address from Dharamshala, India, where festivities marking his milestone birthday are in progress, the Tibetan spiritual leader professed that he will be "reawakened," putting an end to long-lasting conjecture that he might be the last in the venerable line of Dalai Lamas. According to a recent Reuters report, more than 100 maroon-robed monks gathered in the library cheered as the Nobel Peace laureat ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: India on Thursday (July 3) dismissed China's asseration that any successor to the 14th Dalai Lama will need Beijing's approval, stating that the decision regarding his successor lies solely with the Dalai Lama and the established conventions. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, who is representing the Indian government at the event to celebrate Dalai Lama's 90th birthday in Dharamshala, said the Dalai Lama holds a deeply significant position not only for Tibetans but also for millions of his followers around the world, and the decision regarding his successor lies solely w ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 5 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met the Foreign Ministers of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan on Thursday, ahead of the fourth edition of the India-Central Asia Dialogue. He shared the details of the meetings through several posts on X. Upon meeting the Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan, the EAM said, 'Pleased to meet DPM & FM Murat Nurtleu of Kazakhstan this morning. Appreciated his reaffirmation of zero tolerance for terrorism. Discussed various facets of our Strategic Partnership focusing on political, trade, investment and energy cooperation. A ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: India's new approach to treat any act of terror as an act of war has added a new dimension to the Navy's operational outlook after the conduct of Operation Sindoor against Pakistan, Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi said Friday."We must be prepared for this new normal," the Navy chief said at an investiture ceremony here. Over 35 Indian warships and submarines led by aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, with its MiG-29K fighters, were forward deployed in a dissuasive deterrent posture against Pakistan in the northern Arabian Sea last month."Our ships, submarines and aircraft were operationally rea ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 29 (PTI) Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will interact with the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, during his visit to Dharamsala to inaugurate a zonal conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) on Monday. The theme of the Conference is 'Good Governance in the Digital Era: Managing Resources, Defending Democracy, and Embracing Innovation'. Also Read | Bank Holidays in July 2025: No Nationwide Holiday for Muharram on July 7, Banks To Remain Shut for 13 Days This Month; Check Complete List of Bank Holiday Dates. The Zone II of the CPA comprise ...Read More >