Karma Wangchu

Karma Wangchu was a former minister in the Arunachal Pradesh government and the first minister from Tawang district, who spent his later years running a school for poor children from the border villages. He was named for the Padma Shri posthumously in 2023 in the field of social work, from Arunachal Pradesh ^[1].

Police and intelligence work

Wangchu was born on 27 September 1935 at Seru village in Tawang ^[2]. He had no formal schooling, but joined the NEFA police in 1959–60 and then served as a junior intelligence officer with the Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau from 1960 to 1976 ^[2]. He was commended and rewarded for his service during the 1962 war with China and received a silver medal for meritorious service in 1972 ^[2]. He was also appointed the first gaon burah, or village headman, of Seru Tso ^[2].

At 16 he had walked to Lhasa, where he met the Dalai Lama at the Potala Palace; the Dalai Lama later visited his home in Tawang in 1997 and 2003 ^[2]. He founded the Indo-Tibet Friendship Society in Arunachal Pradesh ^[2].

Elected office

From 1978 to 1994 he was an elected representative, and he served as minister for health, transport and cooperation in the cabinet of Chief Minister Tomo Riba, and as pro-tem speaker of the Legislative Assembly ^[2]. He worked to take government schemes to the remotest border areas of Tawang and never lost an election before retiring from politics in 1994 ^[2].

A school for the border villages

After retiring, he started the Choephelling Public School for orphans and children from poor families ^[2]. It gave free schooling and boarding to more than 1,256 children, many from border villages such as Mago, Thingbu and Zemithang ^[2]. He also worked to preserve Monpa culture and traditions ^[2]. He died on 20 October 2022 ^[2].