By Phuntsok Yangchen
DHARAMSHALA, April 6: Tibetan government in exile (known officially as the Central Tibetan Administration) today organized a special prayer service in honor of veteran Tibetan communist Baba Phuntsog Wangyal at Tsuglakhang temple in Mcleod Ganj.
The prayer service was presided over by His Eminence Kirti Rinpoche, the exiled abbot of the Kirti monastery. Hundreds of Tibetans including Tibetan Prime Minister Dr Lobsang Sangay, senior officials of Tibetan government in exile and school students attended the prayer.
“Since his release from prison, Baba Phuntsok Wangyal had raised concerns for nationalities’ equality, particularly rights of Tibetans and wrote open letters to Chinese leaders including Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao to talk with His Holiness the Dalai Lama to solve the crisis in Tibet,” Tibetan PM Lobsang Sangay said in his address at the prayer ceremony.
“Until his death, He had called for special rights for Tibetans, equality, autonomy and most importantly called on Chinese government to act on the Middle Way in his books.”
He also said that Baba Phuntsog Wangyal was a nationalistic person and had immense respect for His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Baba Phuntsog Wangyal died at a hospital in Beijing on March 30. He was 92.
Phuntsog Wangyal, known popularly as Phunwang was born in Bathang in the traditional Tibetan province of Kham in January 1922. He founded the Tibetan Communist Party which later merged with Mao’s Communist Party.
Earlier, the Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama who often refers to Phunwang as his friend has also expressed his sadness over the veteran communist’s death. The Tibetan leader met Phunwang for the first time in 1951 in Lhasa, and later in Beijing where the Tibetan leader had travelled in 1954 – 55, during which Phunwang had interpreted for the Tibetan leader.
Later in the day, students of College for Higher Tibetan Studies, Sarah, organized a discussion on Baba Phuntsok Wangyal at TCV Day school, McLeod Ganj. The key speakers at the debate were Baba Kelsang Gyaltsen, Member of Tibetan Parliament; Lukar Jam, researcher and former executive member of the Gu-Chu-Sum former political prisoners movement and Tsangtuk Topla, teacher at College for Higher Tibetan Studies, Sarah.
