Profiles of the Present Kalons

Venerable Prof. Samdhong Lobsang Tenzin, the 5th Samdhong Rinpoche, was born on 5 November 1939 in Jol, eastern Tibet. At the age of five, he was recognised as the reincarnation of 4th Samdhong Rinpoche and enthroned in Gaden Dechenling Monastery at Jol. At the age of seven, he took the novice vows from Khenchen Dorjichang Kyabje Sangbhum Rinpoche. He received his primary teaching from scholar Ngawang Jinpa when he was nine. At 12, he started his religious training at Drepung Monastery in Lhasa and completed his (Uma Nyinpa) middle school of the Madhyamika School of Buddhism. In the aftermath of the armed repression for the peaceful uprising in Tibet, when escaped to India in 1959, he was 20.

In 1960, he started his community service as a teacher to monks from the Sera, Drepung, and Gaden monasteries. From October 1961, he served as the religious teacher of the Tibetan school in Shimla, and later in 1963, became the acting principal of the school. Again in 1964, he worked as religious teacher at the Tibetan school in Darjeeling.

From 1965 to 1970, Samdhong Rinpoche was the principal of Dalhousie Tibetan school. He received his Lharampa Degree in the year 1968 and Ngagrimpa Degree in 1969. From 1971 to 1988, he was the principal of Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies (CIHTS, Varanasi). From 1988 to 2001 he worked as the director of the same institute. In 1990, he was a member of the Drafting Committee Constitution of the Future Polity of Tibet and Law for the exiled Tibetans. From 1991 to 1995, he was specially appointed by His Holiness as one of the members of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile. The House in turn unanimously elected him as its Speaker. From 1996 to 2001 he was elected member of the Parliament from Kham province and also its Speaker. In 2001, he became the first democratically elected Kalon Tripa, with an overwhelming majority support of nearly 85% of the total votes cast.

KALON VEN. TSERING PHUNTSOK
(Kalon for Department of Religion and Culture)

Tsering Phuntsok was born 1948, in the eastern Tibetan region of Kham Gonjo. At an early age, he was enrolled as monk in the Bagon monastery, a branch of Payul monastery. After the arrival of Chinese forces in Tibet, he escaped into exile. In 1963, he joined Namdrol Ling Monastery at Bylakuppe, and simultaneously attended the settlement’s Tibetan school. While in the middle school, he joined in 1988 the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies in Varanasi, where he obtained his Acharya (Master) degree, followed by a three-year study at the Varanasi Sanskrit University. He was one of the founding members of the Bod Rawang Denpai Laigul (voluntary contribution collected through Green Book), while he was doing his PhD from the CIHTS, after which he taught at the Namdroling, in addition to performing various other community services. Later, from the constituency of Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, he was elected a member of the 11th, 12th, 13th and the incumbent, 14th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile. Almost in all of his terms as a member of the Parliament, he had served as the pro-term Speaker and the chairman of various committees of the House.

KALON TSERING DHONDUP
(Kalon for Department of Finance)

Mr Tsering Dhondup was appointed as senior clerk in the Office of the Auditor General in 1984. He was promoted to deputy secretary in 1991, and in 1993, he was promoted to joint secretary. After completing one-year further studies in United States in 1993, he served as joint secretary in the office of Auditor General from June 1994. In April 1998, he was promoted to additional secretary of the Office of Auditor General.From March 2000, on the same post, he served as secretary in the Department of Education and was promoted to secretary in July 2000. From April 2002, he served as secretary in the Department of Home.

KALON THUPTEN LUNGRIG
(Kalon for Department of Education)

Thupten Lungrig was born on 19 May 1957 in the northeastern Amdo region of Tibet. After his high school education from the CST Dalhousie, in 1972 he joined the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies in Varanasi, where in 1981, he completed his Acharya (Master) degree. As a Post Graduate Teacher, he then taught Tibetan language at the Tibetan Children’s Village School in Dharamshala for over 11 years (1981-92), during which he also completed a year-long Teachers’ Training Course. Later, he was promoted to the principal and director of the Tibetan Children’s Village School in Suja (1993-96). In 1996, he was one of the three members in the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile appointed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama; the Parliament in turn elected him as its vice-chairperson. In 2001, he was again elected as a member of the Parliament, from the constituency of Amdo province. The Parliament in turn elected him as its speaker. Later, as a member of the 12th Kashag, he has held the portfolios of the Kalon for education, religion and culture, and health.

KALON NGODUP DONGCHUNG
(Kalon for Department of Security)

Mr Ngodup Dongchung joined the civil service of Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) on 15 June 1977 and he was appointed as senior clerk in the Department of Security on 1 September 1978. He was promoted to deputy secretary in 1987. On 1 July 1991, he was promoted to additional secretary. Since 1993, he served as the Secretary of Department of Security.

KALON KESANG YANGKYI TAKLA
(Kalon for Department of Information & International Relations)

Kesang Yangkyi Takla was born 1944 in Tibet. After schooling in the Gorkha Tibetan School in Lhasa (1953), and then at St. Joseph’s Convent, Kalimpoing in West Bengal (1954-61), she worked as a secretary and interpreter at then the Department of Home and Rehabilitation, Dharamshala (1962-63), and later, at the Tibetan Children’s Village School, Dharamshala. In 1965, she joined the St. Bede’s College in Shimla, only to be recalled a year later to work at the TCV. The catalogue of her works since include the administrative secretary and accountant at the Tibetan Children’s Nursery in Shimla (1967-68); the administrative secretary and accountant at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives (1970-77); the administrator of Delek Hospital (1978-82); the secretary of the Department of Health (1983-88); representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in the London-based Office of Tibet (1989-1997); (the first) representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Taiwan (1997-1999); and the secretary of the Department of Information and International Relations (2000-01). In January 2002, she was re-appointed the representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Northern Europe. While serving in the above positions, she has constantly worked with various governments, non-governmental organizations and officials. She also organized and participated in numerous national and international seminars, conferences and workshops, especially related to Tibetan and Tibet issues.

KALON CHOPE PALJOR TSERING
(Kalon for Department of Health)

Mr Chope Paljor Tsering was appointed as deputy secretary in October 1973. From June 1977, he served in the Office of Tibet in Nepal and later in Department of Education from June 1982. He also served as education officer in Nepal from January 1985, and as the representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in the Office of Tibet in Nepal from May 1986. Later, he served as representative in the Office of Tibet in East Europe from September 1991, and was promoted to additional secretary in April 1994. In April 1997, he was promoted to secretary and later served in the Office of Tibet in Australia from April 1998. From December 2002, he served as representative in the Office of Tibet in East Asia. He retired from service in May 2007.

KALON TEMPA TSERING
(Kalon without Portfolio)

Tempa Tsering was born on 15 May 1950 in Tibet. After the arrival of the Chinese forces in Tibet, he and his family escaped into India. He completed his High School from Dr. Grahams Homes, Kalimpoing, and B.Sc. from Madras Christian College. He was also elected as the member of the Central Executive Committee of the Tibetan Youth Congress and its advisor. In 1973, he joined the Tibetan civil service, as interpreter and office secretary at the Bylakuppe Tibetan Settlement (1973-74); as lower division clerk (and later as deputy secretary) at the Department of Information and International Relations (1874-80); as deputy secretary (and later as additional secretary) at the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama (1981-85); as additional secretary at the Department of Home; as chief coordinator at the Chief Representative’s Office for the five settlements in the state of Karnataka (1988-1990); and as secretary of the Department of Information and International Relations (1991-1999). In 2000, the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, from a list of nominees proposed by His Holiness, elected him as Kalon. He held the portfolio of the Kalon for the Department of Home, until the term of the 11 Kashag expired in 2001. As of now, he is the representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New Delhi.