Gyalo Thondup the older sibling of the Dalai Lama died at 97 years old while maintaining residence in Kalimpong West Bengal. The diplomat passed away at his Kalimpong house in West Bengal during evening hours on Saturday.
Through his work Thondup served two essential Tibetan objectives: building alliances with India and America and conducting successive dialogues with China. The Tibetan news media recognized Thondup as the driving force behind American backing for Tibetan political autonomy.
The Dalai Lama organized prayers at Bylakuppe in Karnataka to seek a swift rebirth for Thondup while thanking him for his valuable service. 
Within the religious household of siblings Thondup chose a diplomatic path which led him to settle in India during 1952. The Tibetan leader operated in close collaboration with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and other Indian leaders while Tibet faced its political crisis. During 1957 he organized the recruitment process to send Tibetan combatants to U.S. military training sessions.
Thondup started talks with both Chinese and Tibetan officials during 1979 after he abandoned his previous stance which favored armed conflict. The initial negotiations between Tibetans and Chinese later developed into official negotiations spanning from 1979 until 2010.
Thondup led the Tibetan government-in-exile as its chairman in Dharamshala from 1991 until 1993 which solidified his position as an important figure in Tibet’s movement for independence.
His departure signifies the end of a historical period for Tibetan foreign relations yet his life work continues to inspire dedication toward the Tibetan people.
