Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, May 3: In a final gesture reflecting his lifelong dedication to the Tibetan cause, late former Minister Tashi Wangdi requested that no formal prayer service be held in his memory, customarily observed for a half day during working hours of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). The veteran Tibetan diplomat and former minister of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), passed away at the age of 78 in Canada on may 1, 2025.
At a press briefing held by Officiating President and Security Minister Dolma Gyari on Thursday here, the CTA extended heartfelt condolences to the family of Tashi Wangdi, who passed away on May 1 at the age of 78 in Ottawa, Canada, following health complications. She acknowledged that the customary prayer service would not be held, in keeping with the late minister’s final wishes.
“Through a relative of his wife, former minister Tashi Wangdi conveyed that no prayer service should be organized for him, as he did not want to disrupt the daily work of the CTA,” Minister Gyari told reporters. She emphasized that the unusual request underscored his deep sense of duty and humility. “This reflects his unwavering commitment to the Tibetan struggle and the functioning of the administration he served for more than four decades.”
Despite the departure from traditional mourning customs, Minister Gyari affirmed that prayers would still be offered privately by individuals and that civil servants had been encouraged to continue their duties while keeping the late minister in their thoughts. “While it is difficult to forgo the traditional offerings of prayer for someone of his stature, we are guided by his selfless final wish,” she said.
During his final public visit to Dharamshala—when former CTA civil servants gathered to offer a long-life prayer (Tenshug) to His Holiness the Dalai Lama—late Minister Tashi Wangdi expressed deep confidence in the younger generation leading the Tibetan movement. Acknowledging the shifting global landscape, he remarked, “It is the younger generation that is now at the forefront of the Tibetan cause.” He praised the courage shown by Tibetan youth during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to San Francisco, calling it exemplary. Reflecting on the uncertainties ahead as His Holiness advances in age, he added, “My generation has nearly come to an end. While this is a time of uncertainty, the dedication shown by the CTA and the new generation gives me great hope. I am not worried.”
The late Minister Tashi Wangdi dedicated over four decades of distinguished service to the Central Tibetan Administration under the leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, playing a vital role in shaping both the exile government and the broader Tibetan movement. Beginning his career as a senior clerk, he steadily rose through the ranks to become a minister, holding leadership roles in nearly every department of the administration—with the sole exception of the Finance Department, as well as serving as the representative of H.H. the Dalai Lama to the Americas and Brussels.
A trailblazer in many respects, he was among the first group of Tibetan students selected from Misamari, Arunachal Pradesh, in 1960 to attend the newly established residential school for Tibetan refugee children in Mussoorie. He later became one of the earliest Tibetans to return from higher studies in Durham University in the United Kingdom to serve the Tibetan government-in-exile, marking him as a key figure in its formative years.
One Response
Great leaders leave their footprint on the sands of time. Kasur Tashi Wangdu was an exemplary leader endowed with humility, dedication and determination. He was more concerned about the fate of Tibet than himself. He put Tibet first before personal vanity. Such leaders who put themselves as secondary to the greater interest of the nation are extremely rare! Kasur Tashi Wangdu was one of them! It is human nature that we never seem to appreciate the goodness of others until we have lost them. For those who are living; as a measure of their respect and appreciation of Kasur’s Tashi Wangdu’s legacy, the people who are always stirring up our community should stop their nefarious acts of discord and division. Everybody would guess who I am talking about. This rag tag group of nobodies has been like a Trojan in our exile community. Taiwan is believed to be infested with 5000 CCP spies according to the latest report on Taipei Times! President Lai is so concerned that he is banning DPP members from visiting communist China. The CCP has infiltrated Taiwanese society in such an insidious way that there is danger of internal insurrection to overthrow the Taiwan Government. Winning wars without firing a shot is CCP’s vaunted goal. Even ex-and serving military generals are selling secrets to communist China! I cannot but suspect that this group that is stirring up chaos in the exile community may well be in the same boat like their Taiwanese counterparts! These people never come out to protest against the CCP’s atrocities such as events in Dirru Dzong, Dege dam project, the erasure of Tibet’s historical name (TIBET), the forcible removable of one million Tibetan children from their homes to be indoctrinated into communism and stripping them of their cultural heritage but has the audacity to spend thousands of dollars to travel from western countries all the way to Dharamsala to harass the Tibetan parliamentarians!!! These scrooge’s hate against a section of the parliamentarians is more than their hate against the Chinese communists who stole our country! How did this come about? There are people among them who are committed to violently assault monk chitues and they are expressing it unabashedly on the internet! Such dedication to get rid of the monk chitues is a photo copy of what the CCP is doing in occupied Tibet! How can we therefore blindly deny that this is the long arm of the United Front of the CCP fishing in troubled waters? They are also said to have a huge amount of money as expenditure for their travels from the west to India and also pay unsuspecting people to join the bandwagon to Dharamsala or Mundgod! In a world where CCP is infiltrating into every country, we would be foolish not to suspect the diabolical machinations of the CCP in our midst! Three days ago, one of the leaders they respect has clarified about the much maligned “voting bias” as these people allege against the system which allows two votes for monks and nuns. Their claim that the monks/nuns get to vote twice while the ordinary people have one vote has been discredited by their own leader recently. He said, one person one vote refers in the context of voting ONE SINGLE PERSON. A person cannot vote twice to the same person but voting twice to different individuals is not against democratic system. He gave examples of the Punjab assembly and Sikkim assembly. It is hoped their misunderstanding on notion of one person one vote has been dispelled by their leader and henceforth stop their goonda raj culture and let the exile Tibetans live in peace. An important aspect of the speech by their leader was that the Dalai Lama wanted unity as the primary aim for the composition of the religious Chitues. Religion, being a polarising subject, religious representatives were added he said. So, it seems in order in order to maintain unity of the three cholkas, religious Chitues were included as a backbone of preserving and retaining unity between the three cholkhas! This clearly demonstrate that the DUTY OF RELIGIOUS CHITUE ARE TO MANTAIN COMPLETE NEUTRALITY and IMPARTIALITY WHEN DEALING WITH MATTERS ON CHOLKHA! With such a stance, they will gain respect from the floor and in any disagreement between cholkhas, they can act as peace makers. Unfortunately, they have miserably failed in this and their behaviour such as that of a certain monk Chitue over the years has tarnished the reputation of monk chitues. The religious representatives must maintain decorum and act like monks rather than rabble rousers! It is hoped that henceforth, peace prevails among the exile community and those who are hellbent to disturb the peace listen their leader and live up to his expectations.