NEW DELHI, April 29: Thupten Ngodup, the 21-year-old Buddhist monk, who immolated himself on Monday night and was in hospital with 95 per cent burns died early on Wednesday morning. As news of his death spread today, hundreds of Tibetans visited the spot near Jantar Mantar where he had set himself afire on Monday. Prayers were chanted and candles were lit near a photograph of Ngodup. A few feet away, five other Tibetans were on another fast-unto-death agitation which commenced after the police forced the earlier six activists to break their 49-day hunger strike.Ngodup's body was handed over to TYC members this evening after a post-mortem at Lady Hardinge Medical College, and taken to Majnu ka Tilla to enable Tibetans to pay their last respects. The body will be taken to Dharamsala for cremation later tonight.
Ngodup's self-immolation has spurred the TYC to step up their agitation to press for a discussion on the Tibetan question at the United Nations.The TYC has even threatened to resort to more violentmethods if need be to achieve their objective. This despite requests from the Dalai Lama against doing so.
Tseten Norbu, TYC president told The Indian Express: ``We respect the Dalai Lama. That is why we have not resorted to any violent means despite being provoked and suppressed so long. But now it seems we have to think differently. For 40 years nothing has happened.'' He, however, denies that the TYC is at loggerheads with the Dalai Lama.
When the Dalai Lama stepped out of RML hospital on Tuesday after visiting Ngodup, he had reassured the gathering of Tibetans outside that he was very much a part of their struggle.
But the Dalai Lama had pointed out that he eschewed violence in all forms, including self-immolations and hunger-strikes.
Norbu says: ``The Dalai Lama is a spiritual leader and wants the good of every one. Therefore, he talks about following the middle-path to solve the Tibetan issue. But we are the people of Tibet and the TYC is a political body.''
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
