Every Saturday as a part of its shoutout campaign, DIIR’s Social Media Desk will be profiling a civil servant of Central Tibetan Administration. This week we are pleased to profile Tenzin Kunsang.
Question: Could you briefly tell us about yourself?
Answer: I was born to a farmer in Bylakuppe, Mysore but raised largely in Herbertpur, Dehradun from where I completed my schooling. I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Arts from Mysore University. After graduation I came to Dharamshala to join Central Tibetan Administration in 1997. Before joining the CTA in 1998 I got an opportunity to attend 5 months CTA staff recruitment training in Sarah Institute of Tibetan Higher Studies. After the final selection, I was posted to Dhargyaling Tibetan Settlement, Tezu and since then I have been posted to about 9 places with various assignments. Presently, I am working at Department of Health as project officer.
Question: Who is your role model and why?
Answer: Though my parents are not educated but they have always been super active members of my small village – Gulladhalla. Especially my mother – she has never failed to epitomize the perfect example of a loyal Tibetan. There is no doubt that His Holiness the Dalai Lama is my greatest inspiration but social services that my parents do in my community has lead me to follow their path. And I am very proud of myself to serve at Central Tibetan Administration.
Question: Please explain your job description and how best does your work represent you or vice versa.
Answer: Work representation can be explained in many different ways based on perception of one who defines it. As a Tibetan and stateless, I would say that getting an opportunity to work under the guidance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama (A karmic relation as one of our senior officials would say) and serving our community during the darkest period of its history indicates the nature of the work and also personal satisfaction of being able to reach out at this delicate time.
Question: How best do you think you could make a difference to CTA?
Answer: I joined the CTA in 1998 as a new graduate, with this commitment to contribute to the Cause. Inexperienced as I was, I had the opportunity to work in different settlements with various assignments. I even got the chance to work in Tibet Office, South Africa, where I get to meet many wonderful people and to promote our cause and demonstrate our positive values to all whose lives touched mine. The sense of belonging to and in the Cause has always given me satisfaction in all the jobs I have been assigned so far, whether it was the job of an office secretary, an accountant, Handicraft manager or a settlement officer at different settlements. I believe that there are many possibilities for us to get greater satisfaction working at our settlements with our real/main stakeholders. In addition, each area of service provides each of us a thousand opportunities to bring smiles to the faces of our community’s underprivileged, elders and younger generations. This is a joy that cannot be replaced by any other joys. Above all, I have always been blessed with most understanding superiors, who have encouraged and supported me in discovering my fullest potential in whatever I do.
Question: What inspired you to serve the Central Tibetan Administration?
Answer: In many cases, our identity is shaped by what we do; but in our case, our Cause is our identity, and I have come here to my identity to complete myself.
Question: What does it mean for you to be a CTA Civil Servant?
Answer: Unlike other world citizens we have nothing to call ‘ours’, but the ‘CAUSE’, which is our identity. We can’t let it fade away no matter how difficult the situation is. China can destroy our land and other physical existence but not our identity. Our identity is in our hands. Through the sense of belongingness towards our identity, we can make it as our weapon to prove that no one can break us at any conditions.
Question: What is your piece of advice for young Tibetans serving or wishing to serve at CTA?
Answer: Our exiled administration – Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) – is established to meet both immediate and long-term needs of the Tibetan people through a non-violent movement. It is a very precious organization for Tibetans, because it not only aims to look after the well being of Tibetan people in Exile but also strives to carry forward the struggle to regain the lost freedom and dignity. Since it works for the “CAUSE” of six million Tibetan people, it is every Tibetan’s duty and responsibility to join this ‘CAUSE’. But it is not possible for every Tibetan to be recruited here. Therefore, I am sure that all the officials who have joined CTA aim to be associated with movement rather than money and fame.