Penpa Tsering was keen to correct the perception at the outset.
“A lot of people expect that His Holiness (the Dalai Lama) will appoint somebody (as his successor), or he will say that he will be born in this place at that time. It doesn’t happen like that,” Tsering, the Sikyong or president of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), told reporters.
The CTA — the Tibetan refugees’ government-in-exile in India, Nepal and Bhutan — has been executing elaborate plans under the guidance of the Dalai Lama to manage without him, financially and emotionally, when the time comes.
“He (the Dalai Lama) has been preparing ordinary Tibetans to take leadership since 1960 by introducing democracy, particularly in the last 24 years,” Tsering told The Telegraph on Friday, two days ahead of the spiritual leader’s 90th birthday.
The Dalai Lama divested himself of all political responsibilities in 2011, handing it over to the elected CTA. Tibetan refugees had democratically elected representatives almost as soon as the Dalai Lama fled with thousands of them from China’s Tibet region to India in 1959.
“The very fact that His Holiness is here is itself an inspiration for all of us that also drives a lot of people to come here, to give attention to the cause of Tibet. The absence of His Holiness will definitely be a huge setback for the Tibetans,” Tsering said.
Tsering added: “What we need to do is institutionalise our relations with other governments. Once we are able to do that, even in the absence of His Holiness, these governments will follow that protocol.”
In future, Tsering said, Tibetan exiles would have to contribute more to sustain their national movement since a lot of the funding now comes because of the personal charisma of the current Dalai Lama.
Tibetans clean up the streets around the Theckchen Choeling Temple as part of the preparations for the Dalai Lama's birthday celebration. Picture by Pheroze L Vincent
“We are only able to raise about nine per cent of our (CTA’s) expenses from Tibetans…. We are laying out a programme for long-term sustainability, which means that Tibetans will have to contribute more in the future,” Tsering said.
“Right now, we are making sure we can meet all the infrastructure requirements because infrastructure is very costly…,” he added.
“If you maintain buildings well, they last very long; so we don’t need to spend too much on infrastructure in the future. But to look after education, health… we need to slowly get Tibetans outside (South Asia) to support it. That’s how we can sustain in the future without depending too much on governments (like those in India and the US).”
The US, which used to bankroll about a third of the CTA’s budget, stopped the funding as part of foreign aid cuts when Donald Trump became President earlier this year, but has recently restored it in part.
Even more important than money for the exiles is to keep their youth interested in the national movement. Earlier, giving up one’s refugee status for citizenship and marriage with non-Tibetans was frowned upon. Today, the CTA encourages Tibetan citizens of the developed countries to be advocates for self-determination.
During Tsering’s tenure, Voluntary Tibet Advocacy Groups have been set up among Tibetan communities in 27 countries. The International Tibet Youth Forum was launched to bring together 100 Tibetan youths from across the globe, every year, to train them in advocacy.
“We created these platforms for everybody to join -- whether you are (for) independence, middle way (pro-autonomy within China), whatever, come together and then advocate. Now Tibetans have become citizens in these countries. They know the language…. They could be the best advocates,” Tsering said.
“Every Wednesday, Tibetans all over the world do the Circle Dance. This is in replication of what happens in Tibet (in response to China’s alleged suppression of their culture) -- that every Wednesday, Tibetans eat and dress only in the Tibetan way. Youngsters come for cultural programmes. They like to dress up; they like to dance. It’s also good exercise.”
The CTA is pushing harder for official recognition from the international community. Tsering said it remains committed to Dalai Lama’s “middle way” for “genuine autonomy” as an achievable goal rather than complete independence from China.
“His Holiness says that if it had not been for the European Union, then Europeans would still be fighting with each other. When that can be applied to Europe, then why not in Tibet with China?” he said.
“Whether we like it or not, we don’t have a Hanuman to take Tibet out and put it somewhere else…. Why don’t we live in peace with each other?
“Three hundred million Chinese Buddhists have been deprived of their spirituality for so long. Tibetans have retained all this. Chinese Buddhists can benefit from the Tibetan Buddhists, and we can materially benefit from China’s development. This is the mutual benefit, mutual solution that he (Dalai Lama) is talking about.”