Tibetans Pray and Mourn Demise of Kalon Trisur Gyalo Thondup
DHARAMSALA, 10 Feb: Tibetans are mourning the demise of Kalon Trisur Gyalo Thondup, the older brother of the Dalai Lama and a key figure in Tibetan politics. He passed away at the age of 97 on 8 February at his home in Kalimpong, West Bengal.
The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, described Gyalo Thondup as someone with “amazing courage and determination” who “worked extremely hard and well” for the Tibetan cause.
“My elder brother Gyalo Thondup has passed away. The main purpose of this memorial service is to honour my elder brother, Gyalo Thondup, who worked extremely hard and well. Alas, he had amazing courage and determination,” the Dalai Lama said as he chaired a memorial prayer service to honour his elder brother at Tashi Lhunpo Monastery on Sunday.
“Today, by making offerings at this memorial service, we pray for my brother’s successive good rebirths, to be reborn as a Tibetan, and specifically to continue being someone who serves Tibet’s religion and political cause. That is what he prayed and wished for, and I, too, pray for the same.”
Mourning the demise of a “towering figure in Tibet’s history,” Penpa Tsering, the President of the Central Tibetan Administration(CTA), expressed “deep sorrow” on behalf of the “CTA and the Tibetan people.”
“A towering figure in Tibet’s history, he lived a meaningful life defined by his unparalleled contributions to the Tibetan cause,” President Tsering said in a post on X earlier today.
“His legacy will continue to inspire generations to come. May he attain a swift rebirth and continue his virtuous legacy,” he concluded.
The Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament in exile said in his condolence message on 8 February that Thondup will be remembered with gratitude for his services.
“With a heavy heart, we mourn the demise of Gyalo Thondup, esteemed elder brother of the Dalai Lama,” Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel said in a post on X.
“His lifelong dedication to the Tibetan cause & his remarkable contributions will be remembered with deep gratitude, inspiring our unwavering pursuit of justice & freedom for Tibet.”
As a mark of respect for the “veteran interlocutor and one of the most towering modern Tibetan political figure,” the CTA has declared today a half-day public holiday to hold a prayer service in the afternoon at the T-Building at the Central Tibetan Secretariat here in Dharamsala.
Born in 1928 in Amdo Taktser, Tibet, Gyalo Thondup was the second-eldest of six siblings. He was a prominent figure during Tibet’s critical and challenging period.
He served the Tibetan cause by engaging in diplomatic efforts with China and seeking support from foreign governments, including the US, by assuming the office of Kalon Tripa (Chairman/Prime Minister) of the 9th Kashag (Cabinet) of the CTA in exile from August 1991 to January 1993 and as Kalon (Minister) of the Department of Security during the 10th Kashag.s, including the US.
