DHARAMSHALA: Former Secretary Drashi Gyapon Kelsang Dadul passed away on 20 June 2018 around 04:00 PM in the evening at his residence near Lhagyalri in Dharamshala. To honour his service of over 40 years to the Tibet cause, the Central Tibetan Administration held a prayer service in the afternoon today and all the offices were shut from midday as a mark of respect to the deceased.
During the prayer service, Kashag Secretary Topgyal Tsering read out a brief biography of the former secretary. The prayer service was attended by Kalons, Tibetan Parliamentarians, Chief Justice Commissioners, secretary, senior officials and staff of the Central Tibetan Administration.
Brief Biography of Drashi Gyapon Kelsang Dadul:
Drashi Gyapon Kelsang Dadul was born in 1925 in Chongye in southern Tibet. In 1943 at the age of 18, he joined the Tibetan government’s Yugyal Military base in Drashi, Chongye county, for basic military training. In 1948, he achieved the rank of Dingpon (chief of 50 soldiers) and in 1951, he was appointed as the Gyapon (chief of 100 soldiers). In 1959 during the Tibetan National Uprising in Lhasa, he was among the soldiers who secured the Norbulingka palace where His Holiness the Dalai Lama was residing at the time.
After coming to India, he was appointed as a representative of the Tibetan road labourers in Gangtok. In 1960, during the Great Pledge of Unity offered by the people of the three traditional provinces of Tibet at Bodh Gaya, he was one of the representatives. After the democratic Tibetan administration was established in exile, he was elected in the 1st Tibetan parliament and was posted in the department of security. He was elected again to the 2nd Tibetan parliament and was appointed as assistant to Kalon of the education department. In 1965, he was posted in the Department of Home.
He was elected to the 3rd and 4th Tibetan parliament respectively in 1966 and 1969 serving as the deputy speaker of the Tibetan parliament which is known as the Commission of Tibetan People’s Deputies at the time. From 1969 – 1973, he served as the Representative to Nepal. He also visited Lokhul Cholsum and Lang Drikzuk on behalf of the security department to oversee the development of the area.
From 1974 – 1977, he served as the Tibetan settlement officer of Ladakh. In 1977, he was appointed as the head of the branch security office in Dharamshala. From 1978 – 1980, he served as the settlement officer of Lugsum Tibetan settlement in Bylakuppe. In 1983, he retired from active service in the Central Tibetan Administration and since then, he has been residing near Lhagyalri in Dharamshala till his demise on 20 June 2018.