A True Life Story of A Child From To (Western Tibet)

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As many would posit that a distorted historical account can represent its period and witness the historical events. This concise historical account is about the catastrophe of a race amidst tremendous sufferings and difficulties. This book provides a vivid account of hundreds and thousands of Tibetans in the alien land, left with only the earth and the sky as the familiar things, and how every Tibetan in their own capacity have courageously stood from where they had fallen. The book also deals considerably with some crucial official responsibilities the author has taken, ranging from communicator to foreign aid agencies, establishment of new settlement, security to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and His representative, selection and sending of Tibetans to the west and initiate the concept of a reserve fund. The author has also worked as Election Commissioner and Chairman of Public Service Commission. His life reflects vividly the transformation and progress of exile democracy. I sincerely request people to read his enriching personal life account of an important figure in the recent Tibetan history.

It is said, "precious elements even if broken have utility, but a half-burned log would have no value". Likewise, there is no great value in writing the life story of an ordinary person like me, nor is it worth the trouble. Still, in the history of the Tibetan nation-state, rich with its unique religious and cultural heritage extending for hundreds of generations, nothing comparable to the tragedy of our generation has ever happened, in which it became a question of survival and extinction. Our eastern neighbors, the Chinese Communists, invaded and conquered the whole of Tibet; in their propaganda drive to misinterpret historical facts they manipulate all the media to publish and disseminate their false version of events past and present. One of the most important validations of truth in the face of falsehood is the individual testaments of Tibetans inside Tibet and in exile. Pursuant to this, I was encouraged by family and longtime friends, and, most importantly, His Holiness the Dalai Lama who has time and again emphasized the importance of recording these accounts.

In particular, in 1991, His Holiness the Dalai Lama in his message on the occasion of the thirty-second anniversary of the Tibetan uprising said, "Tibetans in the free world belonging to the categories mentioned above and others also with knowledge of Tibetan history and public affairs, should write them down together with their personal life stories. I have called upon Tibetans towards this endeavor before and would like to once again tell them so. This is very important. One might think one's life story is not worth writing down. The truth is, our generation is one that endured many hardships and, in spite of facing many challenges, held our own to forge a new way forward. I see it as very important to write down the collective and personal experiences of this generation. Otherwise, misrepresentations and misinterpretations in the Chinese propaganda literature and pamphlets would survive, and the truth about the sufferings of individual Tibetans and the Tibetan nation as a whole would I go into oblivion with the passing away of the victims. Therefore, I once again call upon those living in the free world to write down their life stories".

Tashi Phuntsok Ngamdrung retired as the Chief Election Commissioner of our Central Tibetan Administration in Exile as well as head of the Public Service Commission. He was among the first young Tibetans who had the opportunity to receive both traditional and modern education.

He fled Tibet at a very young age via the Nepalese Nangpa la border, doing his primary education there. Thereafter, he continued his studies in India in the Central School for Tibetans.

Following his schooling, he was among the first to join our public service in exile, and I commend his enthusiasm and dedication during his service of over 38 years. During those early critical years of establishing the Tibetan settlements, he took on the responsibility of playing a significant role in setting up the Norgyeling settlement in Bhandara (Maharashtra). He assumed different responsibilities in the Central Tibetan Administration rising up to the rank of a Secretary.

I understand that in this book, "A True Life Story of a Child from To" (Western Tibet), he candidly outlines his experiences, including commenting on the strength and weaknesses of our community, both at the individual and at the public level.

I believe that through this book, the present generation of Tibetans, particularly those in our public service, will learn how during those critical periods, the older generation rose to the occasion and overcame the challenges. This will certainly be an inspiration and a source of encouragement to them.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages