OFTEN, MAGICAL THINGS happen when a man dedicates his life to a cause bigger than himself. While this week’s cover story is about one such man, the actual tale is about two wonderful women.
On the 90th birthday of His Holiness Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, THE WEEK looks at two women who lit this lighthouse in the east. And let me assure you that it is not easy to find an untold story about one of the most revered Buddhist monks in the world, but Chief of Bureau (Delhi) Namrata Biji Ahuja did just that. On behalf of THE WEEK’s readers, may I wish the Dalai Lama good health and happy years ahead.
To me, the Dalai Lama represents not just spiritual heights, but an enduring resolve and firm commitment to his people. This commitment, however, carries significant political implications vis-à-vis China.
Only today, he issued a statement “affirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue”. And, he has clarified twice in the statement that the process to recognise the next Dalai Lama “will rest exclusively with members of the Gaden Phodrang Trust, the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama,” effectively excluding China without naming it. This is significant, considering that the Vatican has had an agreement with Beijing “regarding the appointment of bishops” since 2018, which was extended in 2020 and 2024.
It is also a measure of the Dalai Lama’s worldwide appeal that Nancy Pelosi, the former speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and Hollywood star Richard Gere spoke to THE WEEK for this issue. Closer to home, the Tibetan government-in-exile’s views are reflected in the interview with Sikyong Penpa Tsering, head of the Central Tibetan Administration.
In another article, Photo Editor Sanjay Ahlawat looks at the raptors of Jorbeer, 12km from Bikaner, and a man committed to these birds—Dr Jitendra ‘Jitu’ Solanki. Though his research was on snakes, Jitu is dedicated to raptors now. And, interestingly enough, Jitu’s birds come from lands where the Dalai Lama has followers—Mongolia, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, and parts of central and south Asia.
From the Big Apple, where the Dalai Lama has been feted many times, our contributor Lavina Melwani writes about another voice that has America divided—Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. It is only in vibrant polities that heated debates take place, and personally, I would prefer a little heat to a dictatorship with sheeple who go wherever power guides them.
Senior Correspondent Shubhangi Shah spoke with Union Minister Annpurna Devi, who oversees the ministry of women and child development. I was hooked by two things: first, the minister spells her name differently from other Annapurnas, and second, her strong statement about a shift from women’s development to women-led development.
Finally, we come to one of my favourite articles in the issue—Chief of Bureau (Chennai) Lakshmi Subramanian’s story of Velu Asan, a parai exponent, who had never heard about the Rashtrapati Bhavan before a bureaucrat called to inform him that he was being honoured with the Padma Shri for devoting his life to a cause greater than himself—the parai, a percussion instrument that was stigmatised and associated with communities once deemed untouchable.
Asan told Lakshmi that parai literally means speak. And that is what THE WEEK tries to do and exhorts its readers to do. To speak up.