We started out with this idea of profiling prominent people in
the community and people whom we thought in a small way epitomized
the community here in New York. Like many other Tibetans who came
to the "Land of Opportunity", Karma Khedup the President
of the Tibetan Community of New York and New Jersey too came here
with many personal dreams and aspirations.
Born in Nangchen, Kham, he came with his parents to exile in
1959 to India where he studied in a school in Rajasthan for a
few years. He worked in the Indian/ Tibetan army for several years
before heading to Kathmandu to seek his fortune with the carpet
industry. Through this period, he was actively involved with the
various social and political Tibetan agencies and associations
before he came to the US. He has worked as a volunteer for the
NY/NJ Tibetan community for the last four years in the capacity
of the President. While, for some this would be a full-time position
assuming that they would require payment — the position
of the non profit is an unpaid position — and Khedupla (known
lovingly by the young members of Migyul as Aku Khedup ) has a
full-time position elsewhere as a construction worker during the
day.
He finds, or rather makes, time to work for the community on
all his free time, which includes holidays, weekends, and late
at night. On some occasions he takes days off from work to handle
issues which require immediate attention for the community. One
of the main aims of the Tibetan Community of New York/ New Jersey
is the preservation of Tibetan Language and Culture. The Sunday
school was set up with working towards preserving the language.
Motivated by the words of the Dalai Lama that only Tibetans can
help themselves, he feels that this is his contribution to the
community.
Life in New York is very fast and busy — only the hardworking
survive and can make a decent living. Agu Khedup pleads with the
Tibetan community in New York/ New Jersey not to stay away from
the community. We need to be together and requests that people
with various knowledge and skills to share the knowledge within
the community to further the knowledge and skills of the community
at large.
Karma Khedup is President, Tibetan
Community of New York and New Jersey.
