‘Dalai Lama has full right to declare his successor’: Ajmer Dargah head Hazrat Dewan Syed Zainul Abedin

NEW DELHI: The spiritual head of Ajmer Dargah, Hazrat Dewan Syed Zainul Abedin Sahab, on Friday said that the Dalai Lama has the “full and unquestionable right” to declare his successor, according to an official release issued on the occasion of the 90th birthday of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.

On the auspicious occasion, Hazrat Dewan Syed Zainul Abedin Sahab extended heartfelt greetings and conveyed his blessings for the long life and continued good health of the revered Tibetan spiritual leader.

As per the release, Hazrat Dewan Sahab said, “Dalai Lama is a purely religious and divine personality whose guidance has brought peace and spiritual strength to millions across the world. As a spiritual leader, he has the full and unquestionable right to declare his successor.”

Expressing deep concern over recent controversies surrounding the succession of the Dalai Lama, he emphasised that this is a matter of faith for millions of followers globally and must not be politicised. “China or any other political authority should refrain from interfering or diverting this purely religious matter for political interests,” he added.

The release further stated that the Ajmer Dargah head praised the Dalai Lama for his lifelong message of compassion, non-violence, and interfaith harmony, and called upon global religious and spiritual communities to support the Tibetan people’s right to preserve their spiritual traditions.

His remarks come in the backdrop of China’s ongoing attempts to assert control over Tibetan Buddhist practices, particularly the reincarnation process of high-ranking lamas such as the Dalai Lama–a matter that the Ajmer Dargah head believes should remain purely spiritual and free from political interference.

Over a lifetime in exile, the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, has become synonymous with Tibet and its quest for genuine autonomy under Beijing’s tightening grip on the Himalayan region.

From his adopted hometown of Dharamshala, where he established a government-in-exile, the spiritual leader has unified Tibetans at home and in exile and elevated their plight onto the global stage.

Dalai Lama emphasized that the process will be guided by centuries-old religious traditions and in consultation with senior Tibetan Buddhist leaders and spiritual protectors and rejected China’s claims of authority over the reincarnation process, stating that no one else has the right to interfere in this matter.

In a statement on Wednesday, Dalai Lama stated, “The process by which a future Dalai Lama is to be recognized has been clearly established in the 24 September 2011 statement which states that responsibility for doing so will rest exclusively with members of the Gaden Phodrang Trust, the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. They should consult the various heads of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions and the reliable oath-bound Dharma Protectors who are linked inseparably to the lineage of the Dalai Lamas. They should accordingly carry out the procedures of search and recognition in accordance with past tradition.”

“I hereby reiterate that the Gaden Phodrang Trust has sole authority to recognise the future reincarnation; no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter,” he added.

The Dalai Lama noted that he had not made any public statements on the issue over the past 14 years. However, leaders of Tibet’s spiritual traditions have written to him with reasons, earnestly requesting that the institution of the Dalai Lama continue.

“Although I have had no public discussions on this issue, over the last 14 years leaders of Tibet’s spiritual traditions, members of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, participants in a Special General Body Meeting, members of the Central Tibetan Administration, NGOs, Buddhists from the Himalayan region, Mongolia, Buddhist republics of the Russian Federation and Buddhists in Asia including mainland China, have written to me with reasons, earnestly requesting that the institution of the Dalai Lama continue. In particular, I have received messages through various channels from Tibetans in Tibet making the same appeal. In accordance with all these requests, I am affirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue,” he said. (ANI)