Social Media Executive (SME): Could you briefly tell us about yourself?
Dhondup Tsering (DT): I was born in Bhutan but was brought up in India. After successfully completing my schooling from Tibetan Homes Foundation and class XII from CST Mussoorie in 1991, I joined Punjab University in Chandigarh to pursue B.A. After graduating with a B.A degree in 1995, I was selected for one-year training on administration conducted by Public Service Commission-CTA. Since my recruitment into the CTA in the year 1995, I have served at different Tibetan settlements in various capacities. My first appointment was in Rabgayling Tibetan Settlement first as an office secretary and later as an accountant in the cooperative society of the same settlement. Transfer to Mundgod settlement as Cooperative Society Secretary from 1999 to 2003. In the year 2004, I took a one-year leave from my service to attend modernize agriculture on-farm training at Arava R&D in Israel. Thereafter on my return to India from the studies, I was appointed as project coordinator for the promotion of organic farming project jointly undertaken by CTRC and COSPE-an Italian based non-profit NGO from 2005 to 2010. Since my transfer to DoH-CTA in 2014, I carried out my work which mainly involves looking after agriculture-related projects and programs in the settlements. In recognition of my service, the DoH recommended me as one of the candidates among the staff cadre of CTA for CTA’s staff distinguish award in the year 2018 and was selected as the recipient of 2019 distinctive CTA official award.
SME: Please explain your job description and how best does your work represent you or vice versa?
DT: As a deputy secretary in the Department of Home – CTA my job is mainly to look after the agriculture and cooperative section. Given a little experience I gained from working in this field coupled with my deep interest in the designated work, I can represent this work fairly better.
SME: What inspired you to serve the Central Tibetan Administration?
DT: Being a Tibetan brought up and educated under the auspices of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, I always wanted to be a part of the CTA and serve the community. However, one person that stood out in my mind as a great source of inspiration was my late uncle, Mr. Lobsang Dorjee. The tales of his courage and resilience following Chinese occupation over Tibet he related to me and the hardship he endured during the 40 years of service first as a member Tibetan Resistance Group and then for the welfare of Lodrik settlement is deeply ingrained in my mind. With my service, I have the satisfaction of having fulfilled my late uncle’s wish and aspiration and also of having carried out my responsibility as a Tibetan. The service has also added meaning to my life.
SME: What does it mean for you to be a CTA civil servant?
DT: I feel fortunate and honored to be blessed with this privilege to serve CTA. Every Tibetan has the responsibility to work towards our common cause and goal. So, I am making most of me to make the best possible contribution as a civil servant.
SME: What is your piece of advice for young Tibetans serving or wishing to serve at CTA?
DT: Tibetan in exile have more responsible as representative of six million Tibetans who is suffering hardship under Chinese rules. We are very fortunate to have incomparable spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalia Lama and under his long term mission and vision, we are able to preserve our Tibetan identity under his blessing and guidance with unrelenting dedications and determined efforts made by our former generations during the most difficult time in our history. However, we have a strong reason to be proud of the remarkable achievement in our struggle and the enviable position we enjoy today as refugees compared to the status of other refugees across the globe. However, our central goal as a refugee should not be confined to improving our individual economic status but we must rather be focused on work aimed at restoring our country with a sense of responsibility.
SME: How best do you think you can make a difference to CTA?
DT: I don’t think an individual alone can make a huge difference to CTA. What really calls for success in all spheres of the administration is the collective responsibility and the spirit of teamwork initiatives and proper strategies with participatory initiatives. We can stabilize and strengthen the CTA by respecting organizational discipline and following the rules strictly and doing our work to the best of our ability. Thus, we can set an example for a new generation of young educated Tibetans who wish to serve in the CTA.
SME: Who is your role model and why?
DT: No wonder role model plays an important role to boost one’s morale in life, and is one of the effective strategies to teach and lead the world. In my childhood, my Uncle being closest to me, who made a special by place in my heart with his profound words of advice and with his action. His words of advice drilled into me and actions which clearly reflected his thought has been ingrained in me. Apart from this experience, I also had, as a civil servant, an opportunity to work under senior former CTA staff who had served the Central Tibetan Administration in those difficult periods and worked tirelessly to lay the foundation of CTA. I have been inspired and taken them to be my role models and have learned many good things from them.
Every first Saturday of the month, as a part of its shout-out campaign, DIIR’s Social Media Desk will be profiling a civil servant of Central Tibetan Administration. This week we are pleased to profile Mr. Dhondup Tsering, Deputy Secretary at the Department of Home of Central Tibetan Administration.