Monk to receive Padma Shree

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Itanagar, Mar 8 (UNI) The common adage ''selfless work never go unrewarded'' is true in case of Lama Thupten Phuntsok, a Buddhist monk, from far-flung Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh, as he was chosen for the prestigious Padma Shree Award.

He would be the third recipient of the award from Arunachal Pradesh after former minister Dying Ering and APCC president Omem Moyong Deori.

The Buddhist Lama will receive the award from President A P J Abdul Kalam at an investiture ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan on April 5.

''It is unexpected and a pleasant surprise which will serve as a source of inspiration to work with vigour and dedication in the greater welfare of the society'', the 42-year-old monk said today.

Born in 1965 in a poor peasant family in non-descriptive Dharmakang under Tawang district, Phuntsok, was selected in his adolescence for monkhood after an exhausting customary test by Gyumed Tantric University, a highly reputed Buddhist monastery in Hunsur near Mysore, when he made his mark among 500 classmates for his inclination to serve the underprivileged lot of the society.

He also served the university as a lecturer in Tibetan Language and Buddhist studies. His visit to Tawang twice and the depth of poverty and hopelessness of the tribal society left a deep scar in his mind.

The relentless struggle of the poor children for their survival forced him back to his native hill town to start a residential school in 1993 for them and Manjushree Vidyapith Orphanage in October 1998 to help orphaned, destitute and physically challenged children of the region.

The orphanage, run on donation, provides food, shelter and lothing to the poor children. The Army authorities, particularly 190 Mountain Brigade were liberal in with donations.