Didn't expect to be fully satisfied: Samdhong Rinpoche

Thursday, August 04, 2011

Tibet Sun
By Lobsang Wangyal

MCLEOD GANJ, India -- Samdhong Rinpoche, the out-going Kalon Tripa of the Central Tibetan Administration (commonly known as Prime Minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile), said that he is not fully satisfied with what he was able to accomplish during his ten years in the position.

Samdhong Rinpoche speaks during his last press conference as the Kalon Tripa at Kashag Hall in Dharamshala, India, 3 August 2011.(Tibet Sun/Lobsang Wangyal/India)

Answering questions on a wide range of issues during his last meeting as the Kalon Tripa with Tibetan journalists at the Kashag hall, he said, “Right from the beginning I had the understanding that there would not be 100% success in all that I would come up with. But I do not have any regrets, knowing that I put in all my efforts.”

He feels that having divested about 30 loss-making firms from the exile administration, which was also made debt-free, and having laid down a new education policy, were his major achievements.

Rinpoche has been at the helm of the Central Tibetan Administration for the last ten years, serving two five-year terms since September 2001. He will be replaced by Dr Lobsang Sangay, who had been a Senior Fellow at Harvard Law School before he was elected by the Tibetans in Diaspora with 55% of the votes in March this year.

The Central Tibetan Administration has been using the title “Tibetan government-in-exile” in Tibetan up until early June, when the members of the exile parliament adopted the new Tibetan title “Tibetan Organisation” after the Dalai Lama suggested a change in the title. Many Tibetans opposed the change and suggested retaining the old one.

“His Holiness the Dalai Lama made some suggestions in the name but the final one was adopted by the members of the parliament.”

Rinpoche said the title was becoming a cause of concern for the future of the exile administration. “The change in the title became necessary to avoid any precarious situation.”

It was during Rinpoche’s administration that contacts between the envoys of the Dalai Lama and Chinese officials in charge of dealings with religious and ethnic groups were renewed. Nine rounds of talks have taken place, but have not made any breakthrough. Rinpoche is hopeful of a resolution to the Tibetan issue in the near future. If this occurs he feels it would be due solely to the sacrifices of the Tibetans in Tibet.

Recognising their sacrifices, Rinpoche said, “They have made the biggest contribution to the Tibetan cause.”

Commenting on the failure of the organic farming methods that he introduced in the Tibetan settlements, he said “if we want a future that is free from cancer, organic farming is the only way.”

A detailed report on Rinpoche’s administration will be published in a month or two.

The new Kalon Tripa Lobsang Sangay will take oath of office on 8 August. The oath will be administered by Ngawang Phelgyal, the Chief Justice Commissioner of the   CTA.

Rinpoche said that he does not have anything planned for the future, but first he will be leaving for a two-week vacation from 9 September.