Thupstan Chhewang

Thupstan Chhewang
Member of the India Parliament for Ladakh
Incumbent
Assumed office 26 May 2014
Preceded by	Hassan Khan
Personal details
Born	(1947-09-01) 1 September 1947 Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir Village Shey, Leh, Ladakh
Political party	Bharatiya Janata Party
Spouse(s)	Princess Sarla Chhewang
Children	1 son and 1 daughter
Residence	Sankar KharLadakh
Religion	Buddhism

Thupstan Chhewang (born 1 September 1947) is a member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India. He represents the Ladakh constituency of Jammu and Kashmir.He is a National Executive member and was elected as the member of Parliament from Ladakh constituency, representing BJP, in the 16th Lok Sabha.

Early life

He was born in Shey to Shey Lonpo Tsepel Namgyal, an aristocrat, who chose to serve the poor by imparting education to them, and Princess Nyilza Wangmo, great great great granddaughter of Tsepel Tundup Namgyal, the last independent ruler of Ladakh and sister to the 19th Kushok Bakula, aunt to Galdan Thripa Thupstan Nyima, younger sister to Princess Rigzin Wangmo, grand niece to the 18th Bakula and first cousin to Princess Tsering Dolkar of Leh Khangsar, the holder of the throne of Cho of Gya and one of the most prominent and influential aristocratic families of Ladakh . He completed his primary education till class 5th from his native village and after that Kushok Bakula Rinpochey his uncle, took him with himself to Kashmir for studies. There he used to put up at Rainawari in Pandit Nehru’s house. Back then the students of officers working in the Secretariat also used to shift to Jammu, with the annual Durbar move so during winters he would to attend Model Academy School Jammu and during summers Tyndale Biscoe School in Srinagar. Bakula Rinpochey took around 16 students to Sarnath Varanasi at Mahabodhi Intermediate College from where he did his matriculation in 1962. In 1967, he completed his graduation from Delhi University in law.

Personal life

He is married into the Royal family of Ladakh. His wife, Princess Sarla Chewanng is the eldest daughter of King Chhosgyal Kunzang Namgyal and sister of the present King Jigmet Namgyal. He has a son and a daughter.He practices Buddhism.

Political career

He began his career as a political activist in the year 1972, when he along with some other youths organised a protest when Syed Mir Qasim visited Ladakh and was imprisoned for twenty days.He spearheaded the agitations for inclusion of the Ladakhis as Scheduled Tribes, autonomy for the region demanding the status of Union Territory for Ladakh. He served as the President of the Ladakh Buddhist Association from 1988 to 1995. He became the first Chief Executive Councilor of the local autonomous administrative body, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh when elections were held for the first time in 1995. Later he formed the Ladakh Union Territory Front in year 2000. In 2004 he contested for, and won, the 14th Lok Sabha Elections as an LUTF candidate. He again won the 16th General Elections in 2014 on a BJP ticket defeating his nearest rival by a margin of just 36 votes.