DHARAMSHALA: Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay released a new two-volume book by Late Mr Gonpo Dorjee, a former member of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives on Friday, 29 April.

The book titled ‘The Old and New Century of Tibet’ documents the history of Tibet from Nyatri Tsenpo, Tibet’s first king in recorded history, till 1986.

Addressing the book release, Sikyong first expressed his profound condolences at Mr Gonpo Dorjee’s demise and prayed for his swift rebirth. Mr Gonpo Dorjee, the writer, passed away on 26 April, just three days before the launch of the book.

Recommending the younger generation of Tibetans to read the book, he said: “Some of my staff at the Kashag Secretariat have read the book and they told me that the book is very well written, easy to understand and contains a lot of vital information on Tibetan history. Therefore, I applaud the hard work put in by the writer as well as by the staff of the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives to publish this book,” Sikyong said.

The two-volume book is a culmination of a decade-long effort by the writer to record Tibetan history as well as his personal experience of escaping into exile, following His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s advice to elderly Tibetans to write about their personal experiences of Tibet for future references.

Late Mr Gonpo Dorjee had served as a Member of the Tibetan Parliament from Sakya constituency in 1972. However, he resigned and returned to his home in Darjeeling two years later due to health issues. In Darjeeling, he continued working for Tibetan Freedom (Bhodmei Rawang) newspaper till 1992.