India, July 4 -- Fourteen years after the Dalai Lama said he would decide on the issue of his succession by the time of his 90th birthday in 2025, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists has made it clear that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue after his death and that a trust founded by him will be the only authority to recognise his reincarnation. The announcement drew a predictable response from China, which sees the lama revered by millions around the world as a "separatist", with Beijing claiming that the Dalai Lama's successor will be selected by choosing a name from a "golden urn" and that the chosen person will have to be endorsed by the Chinese government. The problem here is that leading Buddhist scholars and historians have debunked the "golden urn" mechanism, introduced by China's rulers in the late 18th century. China itself had no role in the search or recognition of the 14th Dalai Lama, who has lived in Dharamshala since fleeing Tibet in the face of a military crackdown in 1959. China's efforts are aimed at strengthening Beijing's grip on Tibet and its population of about 3.6 million, and to project itself as a global leader in Buddhism. Despite a range of repressive measures, including suppression of Tibetan Buddhist practices, forced enrolment of children as young as six in boarding schools to assimilate Tibetans into the mainstream and an all-pervasive surveillance machinery, the Dalai Lama continues to have a massive following. It is widely expected that China will name its own Dalai Lama, a precedent having been set by Beijing selecting its own Panchen Lama in 1995 and the disappearance of the Dalai Lama's choice. But Beijing will be aware that its choice is unlikely to be endorsed by Tibetans or carry the moral and spiritual weight that the seat commands. Given that India is home to the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan government-in-exile and a large Tibetan diaspora, this matter has the potential to become a flashpoint between New Delhi and Beijing. Chinese officials have said they expect India not to "interfere" in the selection of the next Dalai Lama. India would like to avoid friction but cannot and should not stay silent. Buddhism has a significant presence in the strategic border regions of Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh and Sikkim. And both morality and statecraft demand that India support the Dalai Lama and make its stand explicit....