Noted Tibetologist Vijay Kranti is convinced that the Tibetan struggle steered by the Dalai Lama will outlive Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Communist Party of China.
While discussing the Dalai Lama’s recently released book ‘Voice for the Voiceless’ on The Gist the Delhi based journalist and photographer who has traveled to Tibet three times, says he is inclined to believe that Xi Jinping and the Communist Party of China will vanish very soon and the Tibetan struggle will outlive them.
In his book focused on the theme ‘over seven decades of struggle with China for my land and my people’, the Dalai Lama has asserted that he has no doubt that the Tibetan struggle for freedom will go on and that totalitarianism definitely does not have time on its side.
Interpreting this observation, Vijay said that this shows strength of the Dalai Lama’s own faith in non violence and persistence. “ When he came to India, he was only 25 years old and had no experience of world politics. People with were not even prepared for earning the next day meal. And still he has reached a place where he gets the Nobel prize. The Tibetans have reached a stage where they have influence right from the streets of Germany to the Parliament of America or European Union. They have so many friends. It is Dalai Lama’s leadership and determination of the Tibetans which gives them hope and the Dalai Lama has expressed it here.”
Vijay said that The Dalai Lama is a great monk statesman who has used non- violence as the most effective weapon in his fight against the most powerful enemy- from a position where he is least powerful.
Notably, in this much sought after book published by Harper Collins and available exclusively in the Indian subcontinent, the Dalai Lama has urged the Tibetans to guard against hatred towards the Chinese.
“The strength of Dalai Lama is his faith in non- violence. He is utilizing the power of being cool and non violent against one of the strongest forces of the world today. So, he is telling his people not to hate the Chinese but just understand them and fight back,” explained Vijay who has known the Dalai Lama for 53 years.
Asked whether the Dalai Lama will be able to return to his homeland in his lifetime, he said that when the Dalai Lama says that he will live up to 113 years, he is actually throwing challenge to the Chinese. “ There was a time when Mao told Nehru that he could keep Dalai Lama in India for 100 years. In ten years, the Dalai Lama is going to be hundred years. The way Xi Jinping goes practically mad while talking about Dalai Lama shows they are feeling very helpless before this monk statesman who has no gun and does not even shout at them. This statement in a way confronts China.”
To a question on whether the third generation of Tibetans living in exile in India, are as passionate about the struggle as their parents and grand-parents, he said that this generation of Tibetans is differently abled.
Having known Tibetan refugees who came to India with the Dalai Lama in 1959, Vijay says that the present generation of Tibetans has the resources to see what China is doing inside Tibet. “They have done remarkable work. I don’t see fatigue. The mode of expression is different but the determination is prevelant.’’
Vijay said that the timing of the Dalai Lama’s recently released book is well calculated.
The book comes close to the Tibetan Uprising Day on March 10, the anniversary of his escape from the Norbulingka Palace on March 17, 1959 and not far from his 90th birthday on July 6.
Sharing his thoughts, the noted photographer said that Dalai Lama’s assertion in the book about the new Dalai Lama makes some things very clear.
On the issue of reincarnation, the Tibetan spiritual leader has said that since the purpose of the Dalai Lama is to carry on the work of his predecessor, the new Dalai Lama will be born in the free world.
The Delhi based journalist who has documented the social, political and economic life of the Tibetans inside Tibet and also those living in exile, says the Dalai Lama’s tone is now different and this statement makes a few things more clear than they were. “ He is very decisive and smart. Many people think that he is just a monk. He is a great monk statesman and his timing of announcements, making statements, taking decisions, is remarkable. There have been occasions in the last few decades when his supporters got a bit confused when he said that he is really not to ask for independence for Tibet and he is ready to negotiate with China provided they give genuine autonomy to the Tibetan people.”
He pointed out that many supporters of the Dalai Lama were unhappy that he suddenly looked like giving up the cause of free, independent Tibet but now it seems that he has already tried with China.”He gave them enough time by offering that he was ready to accept genuine autonomy. I see that now his tone is different and he is more decisive and assertive because he has now realized that perhaps his offer made no impact on the Chinese who were rather going far ahead in what he was fearing in destruction of Tibetan identity, cultural genocide and denial of human rights to the Tibetans.”
He said that many people are expecting Tibet to cross a milestone on July 6 when the Dalai Lama will make a specific announcement on reincarnation on his 90th birthday.
Asked to comment on the Chinese spokesperson statement regarding reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, “This statement of Chinese government and their party leaders talking of a system that governs reincarnation, is laughable…. They don’t believe in religion. Marxism outrightly rejects the idea of past life or next life. Can you believe that the Communist Party of China came out in 2007 with a law. It was titled ‘Order number 5 which says that no incarnate Lama including the Dalai Lama has any right to take birth without the permission of Communist Party of China and that too permission according to the law they made. A lama who has to reincarnate must have in advance a certified stamped paper, permission of the Communist Party of China before taking birth.”
Dismissing the Chinese embassy spokesperson’s claim on the reincarnation system and that the recognition and approval of the 14th Dalai Lama by the then central government, Kranti said this is propaganda and an attempt at rewriting history. “When the Dalai Lama was acknowledged as Dalai Lama, he was five years old and there was a ceremony in Lhasa which was attended by hundreds of diplomats and photographers from around the world. The Chinese representative was there among so many guests. To now claim that the Chinese representative who presided over the function and it was the Beijing government which certified the 14th Dalai Lama’s enthronement shows that the Chinese are miserable.”
In response to the Dalai Lama’s observation that it is really for the Tibetans to decide whether they want the institution of the Dalai Lama to continue and his dropping a bombshell on the Chinese before his 90th birthday with his statement, Vijay Kranti said, “ Ya, you can call it bombshell but he has made a very clear announcement. He keeps the Chinese guessing. In 2011 when he made a very clear announcement about the future of the institution of the Dalai Lama, he was still 14 years away from his 90th birthday.”
On the Dalai Lama saying that it is the moral responsibility of the Tibetans to speak on behalf of Tibetans inside Tibet and that by doing so, they are neither anti China nor splittist, Vijay said, “ He is talking of exiled Tibetans who are living in free world who are talking about the Tibetan cause. I can tell you that the voice of the Tibetans living inside Tibet under Chinese occupation is more determined and strong compared to those living in the free world. The Chinese government installed a Panchen Lama of their choice and arrested the real Panchen Lama. We still don’t know the whereabouts of the Panchen Lama or his family but the Tibetans have refused to accept the government sponsored Panchen Lama. They still have to pay people money to go and sit in his congregations. This shows that the resistance inside Tibet is very strong against China.”
The Tibet scholar said that the Dalai Lama’s leadership and vision has shown wonderful results. ”It is because of Dalai Lama’s leadership and vision and the Tibetans that India has become over last 70 years the largest reservoir of genuine Tibetan and Buddhist culture.”
