Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama’s elder brother Gyalo Thondup dies at the age of 97

Kolkata: Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama’s elder brother Gyalo Thondup died due to age related diseases at his residence in Kalimpong, West Bengal. A senior official gave this information on Sunday. He was 97 years old. The official said that Thondup, who was ill for the last two weeks, breathed his last on Saturday afternoon. He told that his son and granddaughter were present on this occasion.

He told that his last rites will be performed on February 11 after the arrival of other family members. The Dalai Lama is currently in Karnataka and he attended a prayer session organized in memory of Thondup at a monastery in Bylakuppe town. Thondup was living in India for a long time. He had been the chairman of the Tibetan government and had also held several rounds of talks with China.

The Tibetan media writes about Thondup that he had done a great job of gathering foreign support and involving America in the struggle for Tibet. The Dalai Lama wished for his rebirth after his death. He said that his struggle for Tibet can never be forgotten. Among the 6 siblings of the Dalai Lama, Thondup was the only one who was in a family life. He started living in India since 1952. He got the support of India and America for Tibet.

In 1957, he prepared a contingent of Tibetan fighters and sent them to a training camp in America. In 1859, when the Dalai Lama needed refuge in India, it was his brother who talked to the then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Thondup started talks with China in 1979. He wanted a struggle for Tibet. Talks were held with China in several phases until 2010. Thondup said that India or the US cannot resolve this issue. A solution can only be found through face-to-face talks with Beijing.