&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Indian MPs and US Embassy officials to attend Tibetan exiled leader’s oath-taking in Dharamsala")
New Delhi: Two Indian ruling party lawmakers and US Embassy officials are among those expected to attend the swearing-in of Penpa Tsering for a second term as president of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), the Tibetan government-in-exile, an event likely to draw sharp criticism from Beijing.
The ceremony takes place on Wednesday at the Main Tibetan Temple courtyard in Thekchen Choeling, Dharamsala, and will be attended by the 14th Dalai Lama. Nishikant Dubey, a senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Jharkhand, and Tapir Gao, BJP MP from Arunachal East, will be present at the ceremony. The US Embassy in New Delhi is also sending two officials. The US embassy had on Sunday invited Penpa Tsering for the 250th Independence Day celebrations of the United States, which saw an address by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Penpa Tsering, 58, secured re-election in February with more than 61% of the vote among the global Tibetan diaspora, avoiding a run-off under the exiled community’s electoral rules. Born in exile, the former speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile previously served as the Dalai Lama’s representative in Washington and has been a key advocate for the “Middle Way” approach.
His leadership has focused on strengthening Tibetan institutions, engaging younger generations, and preserving culture, language and religion among the estimated 150,000 Tibetans living in exile across India, Nepal, Europe and North America. The CTA, based in Dharamsala since the Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959, manages education, welfare and diplomatic efforts while operating as a democratic administration without sovereign territory.
The oath-taking to be conducted by the Chief Justice Commissioner formally inaugurates the 17th Kashag (cabinet). Attendees will witness traditional rituals including the offering of khata scarves and the handover of the ancient seal of authority. Thousands are expected to watch online.
China has already voiced strong opposition. Beijing does not recognise the CTA and views the Dalai Lama and exile structures as separatist threats. In a statement, Chinese Embassy spokesperson Yu Jing in Delhi said, “The issue of the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation is purely an internal matter of China and should not be subject to external interference. The so-called ‘Central Tibetan Administration’ is not recognised by any sovereign country, and its leadership has neither the legitimacy to represent the Tibetan people nor the authority to make claims regarding the reincarnation process.”
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Yu added, “India has made clear commitments on issues relating to Tibet. It is sincerely hoped that India will continue to honour these commitments, refrain from providing any platform for activities advocating ‘Tibetan independence,’ and avoid interference in the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. Such an approach would contribute positively to the overall stability and constructive development of our bilateral ties.”
In April, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Zhang Maoming met the then Home Minister Sudan Gurung and cautioned against any official Nepali government participation in the oath-taking ceremony, according to Nepal media.
