Key Indian Minister Lalan Singh Backs Dalai Lama, Announces New Tibetan Learning Centre in Subtle Message to China
On July 6, prominent Indian lawmaker and union minister Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh showed up in Dharamshala for the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday. It turns out, he had brought more than just birthday wishes.
He announced a new multi-disciplinary centre in Bodh Gaya. This centre, Lalan Singh said, will be grounded in the Nalanda tradition. Its aim will be to preserve Indo-Tibetan wisdom and host global study of the Dalai Lama’s philosophy.
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| Image Source: Lalan Singh on X |
India has hosted the Dalai Lama since 1959—but for decades, it kept that support quiet, wary of provoking China. That phase is over.
Lalan Singh’s presence—and his words—signal a shift. India is no longer tiptoeing around Tibet. It’s reclaiming cultural ground China wants to dominate.
#Live :- Addressing the celebrations of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama’s Birthday in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh. https://t.co/OCL3CojYnb
— Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh (@LalanSingh_1) July 6, 2025
Beijing wants to control the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation. It insists only the Communist Party can approve his successor. That’s not religious policy—it’s strategic colonisation. And India’s answer as evident through a powerful minister's cultural outreach and civilizational unity, seems to be that Tibet’s legacy won’t be managed out of Beijing.
By anchoring Tibetan learning in Bodh Gaya, India is challenging China’s narrative. If Beijing tries to install its own Dalai Lama, India will already have a spiritual, cultural, and moral alternative ready.
This is preparation. And India doesn't seem to be standing alone, at least on this front. On the same day, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed Washington’s support for Tibetans’ right to choose their religious leaders. Taiwan’s president sent warm birthday wishes. Former U.S. presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama publicly backed the Dalai Lama’s legacy.
This is apart from a host of global leaders who registered their wishes. Singh was accompanied by Kiren Rijiju, another key figure in the Modi cabinet.