According to the Tibetan calendar he will do so on June 21, while the Gregorian or the universal calendar that is used worldwide puts the date as July 6. Much rests on his longevity for the Tibetans in Tibet and those obliged to flee their land and reside elsewhere, the largest numbers being in India, the country where the Dalai Lama first sought refuge in 1959 after fleeing Lhasa. A lot has been written on his successor. It is not the intention to go into that controversy in this piece. The Dalai Lama has said in one of his statements that he intends to be around for quite a while. Whatever the case, he has discomfited the Chinese leadership no end. They have left no stone unturned to ensure that the Indian government does not give him any latitude to carry out political work from Indian soil. Many other curbs are in place.[Source]
