Lobsang Sangay, a 43-year-old Harvard scholar, took office yesterday as head of the Tibetan government-in-exile, vowing to free his homeland from Chinese “colonialism.”

After being sworn in at a colorful ceremony in the Indian hill town of Dharamsala, Sangay warned China that the Tibet movement was “here to stay” and would only grow stronger in the waning years of the Dalai Lama.

In an historic shift from the dominance of Tibetan politics by religious figures, the new prime minister, who has never set foot in Tibet, is assuming the political leadership role relinquished by the 76-year-old Dalai Lama in May.