Almost 40 years later he set himself afire on Monday near the Jantar Mantar in protest against the forced hospitalisation of six fellow Tibetans who were on a fast unto death.

But Ngodup did not metamorphose from a monk to an activist overnight. At Dharmasala he trained himself into a revolutionary and took up a job in a school.

He sought voluntary retirement 20 years ago. With no family to look after, he had been contributing his pension to the Tibetian Youth Congress (TYC) since then.

On Monday, when about 500 policemen reached the Jantar Mantar area to remove the fasting Tibetans, Ngodup -- who has been described as a very quiet man -- was among those who resisted the move.

As the police refused to go away, Ngodup sneaked behind a tent and doused himself with petrol before setting himself afire. By the time he was taken to the hospital, he had suffered 95 percent burns.

He was operated on immediately, but doctors had said that his chances of survival were slim. And last night he suffered a cardiac arrest.

As the 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 violent methods if need be to achieve their objective. This despite requests from the Dalai Lama against doing so.

Tseten Norbu, TYC president told Express Newsline: ``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 yesterday 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. Our ultimate goal is Free Tibet.''

Meanwhile, the Delhi police have increased their vigil in the Jantar Mantar area. There is, however, no move to remove the current batch of Tibetans who are on a hunger strike.

`We don't want to take any chances, especially another self-immolation. There is a lot of emotion all around, and anything might happen,'' said a senior police official.