By Tenzin Dargyal,
CTC National Office
MONTREAL, October 24 – More than fifty people, representing the Tibetan Cultural Association of Quebec (TCAQ) and the Canada Tibet Committee (CTC), gathered to recognize and celebrate the contribution of Mr. Thubten Samdup, founder and former Chairman and National President of CTC as well as former President of the TCAQ. It was first opportunity for Mr. Samdup to address the closely-knit Tibetan community of Montreal, which has been his home for more than twenty-five years, since his formal retirement from the CTC in early September. Mr. Samdup thanked the community members for their steadfast and unconditional support over the years that gave him the strength and the confidence to go on and serve all
these years.
The TCAQ and CTC praised and thanked Mr. Samdup for his tireless work for Tibet. They presented khatas and a commemorative plaque to Mr. Samdup that read “In recognition of your outstanding contribution and leadership to the community, culture and cause of Tibet”. They also presented him with a travel voucher to help him fully enjoy his well-deserved rest time and realize his goals of visiting southern India and Tibet. The voucher represented contributions from Tibetan communities across Canada.
Mr. Samdup spoke emotionally about his recent decision and clarified that it was not a sign of giving up on Tibet. He expressed that after much discussion with his family that the decision to retire was best thing for his family and for the CTC. Mr. Samdup served more than 17 years as the head of the CTC on an entirely volunteer basis. He felt strongly that the CTC needed a major change. He noted that Tibet work often sacrificed his family and personal life. He commented that though the love for Tibet is still very present, his energy level was not always present and as such will take a year to rest and think about what he will do next. Mr. Samdup also discussed the possibility of pursuing a dream of establishing a “Tibet House” that would serve as a physical location to preserve and showcase Tibetan culture for future generations of Tibetans in Canada.
At the conclusion of his talk, Mr. Samdup played the recent speech by His Holiness the Dalai Lama given to the Tibetan Assembly to the great interest of many of the elder Tibetans with little access to the recorded news from Dharamsala. In the recording, His Holiness said, “I am semi-retired now.” This quote moved Mr. Samdup to remind and urge Montreal Tibetans, especially the younger generation, to consistently remain active for the cause of Tibet.
Many young Tibetans of Montreal have already followed Mr. Samdup’s advice. The current active leadership of the TCAQ and CTC is made up of Tibetans born in Canada. Much of the credit goes to Mr. Samdup who played a crucial role in the community as a bridge between the older and younger generation. It was the collective hopes of the TCAQ and CTC that they could continue to build on the incredible work and inspiration left by Mr. Thubten Samdup.
In tradition Tibetan style, the event concluded with delicious food and drinks prepared by Tibetan families of the TCAQ.
