Dharamshala — The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) and Tibetans mourned the passing away of former CTA Kalon (minister) Tashi Wandi, who served the Tibetan people and the Tibetan cause in Tibet's most difficult and critical situation. He was known for his simplicity and honesty.
Officiating Sikyong Dolma Gyari, Kalon of the Department of Security, held a press conference on May 2, 2025, at Department of Security,CTA, regarding recent passing away of former KalonTashi Wandi.
During the press conference, the officiating Sikyong also spoke about the absence of a formal customary prayer service for Kalon Tashi Wangdi by CTA leaders and staff, as he doesn't want to interrupt the work of CTA leaders and staff on his behalf.
She explained that, in accordance with the late Kasur’s final wishes—relayed by a relative of his wife—he had specifically requested that no such service be held, as he did not want to disrupt the working hours of the CTA. “This reflects the kind of selfless and dedicated person he was—always putting the cause and the community above himself,” added Kalon Dolma Gyari.
Former Kalon (minister) Tashi Wangdi, who passed away at the age of 78 in Ottawa, Canada, on May 1, 2025. He was a leading figure in Tibet's freedom struggle in exile and a steadfast pillar of the Central Tibetan Administration. He devoted his entire life to serving the Tibetan people and the Tibetan cause. He is the author of My Life: Borin in a Free Tibet, Served in Exile.
His biography read by the Kashag (Cabinet) secretary Tsegyal Chukya Dranyi: "Kasur Tashi Wangdi was born on 15 April 1947 in Sangag Choeling, Tibet. Following the Chinese invasion, he fled into exile with his family in 1959 and was among the first batch of Tibetan children selected by His Holiness the Dalai Lama from the refugee camp at Missamari in Assam to attend the newly established refugee school in Mussoorie, India. Demonstrating academic excellence from a young age, he was awarded a scholarship to study at Wynberg Allen, a private boarding school in Mussoorie. In 1968, he received a British Council scholarship through the refugee support organisation Ockenden Venture and continued his studies in the United Kingdom, ultimately earning a B.A. (Honours) in Political Science and Sociology from Durham University in 1973.
"Upon his return to India in 1974, he initially joined the Department of Home as a junior officer and rose steadily through the ranks, holding numerous key positions over the decades. He served in various secretariats. Earlier, from 1966 to 1968, during a break in his academic journey, he also served in the Council for Home Affairs and the Council for Education of the Tibetan Administration as an English translator.
"From the early 1980s onward, he was entrusted with multiple ministerial portfolios, including the Departments of Information & International Relations, Security, Education, Health, Home, and Religion & Culture. His tenure as a minister was marked by consistent leadership during a critical period of the Tibetan diaspora’s development and international engagement.
"In addition to his ministerial responsibilities, he was appointed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1988 to lead the official delegation for negotiations with the Government of the People’s Republic of China. He continued to be involved in Sino-Tibetan dialogues as a member of the Task Force for negotiations, which was established in 2004. Apart from serving as the Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New Delhi, he also served as His Holiness’s Representative in the United States from 2005 and in Brussels from 2009, overseeing relations and conducting Tibet advocacy in Western Europe, the European Union, and North Africa (Maghreb)," the secretary concluded.
