Chinese learn lessons the hard way

If Tibetans feel that when President Xi Jinping talks of Tibetan Buddhism 'with Chinese characteristics' and then he only reveals China's intentions of destroying and subsuming Tibet's unique cultural identity into communism, it is only true. The Chinese efforts at installing the next Dalai Lama of their choice are ridiculous.

In the first instance, Tibet is an occupied land. It has been under the occupation of the Chinese Army for long and is losing out on every count – culture, civilisation, traditions, language, arts and even their occupations. What is worse is that the Chinese are not content with it. They have always been planning to usurp their living God too – the Dalai Lama.

When Chinese President Xi Jinping insists upon Tibetan Buddhism with Chinese characteristics or when the Communist Party of China claims to control the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama by force as they did in the case of the Panchen Lama, it is in the same line as what they have done to the Catholic Church in China, to Hong Kong, to the Uighur People of Xinjiang or to the Mongolian people of South Mongolia. Their goal is explicit — to eliminate whatever makes each of these communities unique.

If the Dalai Lama has adopted a middle way solution to the problem, it is more to preserve the unique nature of Tibet and the freedom of its people in the face of great disparity between China and Tibet in every sense. He is only exploring peaceful alternatives without conceding an inch of the Tibetan self-respect and to preserve their uniqueness in every sense. They must find strength to tolerate the arrogance of the illegal and immoral authority of the Chinese and continue to resist the oppressors.

The Tibetans must also realise that whenever Chinese leaders make such types of claims they are doing so because of their own fears and uncertainty in their mind. Such claims are so ridiculous that they neither deserve to be taken notice of nor qualify to be reacted upon. One question that arises out of the Chinese assertions is this: Does the Government of China, which claims to be communist or Marxist, believe in the continuation of consciousness or reincarnation? If not, why bother with the religious systems of Tibetans?

If Xi does not believe in life after death, then why does he not shut up and also ask his country to do so? Let us look at the history first. During the 18th century, Tibetans had good relations with the Manchu emperors in central China.

They did advise Tibetans to use the method of lottery through the golden vessel for the selection of Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama. But in spite of their suggestions neither of the 9th, 10th, 11th or 13th or 14th Dalai Lama were selected that way. Though the lottery system had been adopted twice in the past, it was only as part of the whole process that the Tibetans followed. Perhaps, the Chinese learn their lessons the hard way!