Old Tibet noble's descendent eyes democratic reform

When Wangqu Namgyal, the descendent of a noted Tibetan noble family in old Tibet returned to Tibet from the U.S. 30 years ago, he saw a dramatic change between hometown and the west world and made his mind to "do something for the people" as his family did in several generations.
 
Family witnessed process of Tibet changes
 
The ancestor of Wangqu Namgyal could be traced back to be working as the national minister in the Qing Dynasty, China's last empire under feudalism. 　
 
Wangqu Namgyal's grandfather, born in 1897, was one senior officer of local Tibetan government, one patriot and among few people who dealt with international affairs at that time.
 
He, with other Tibetan scholars, translated Sun yat-sen's "three people's principles" into Tibetan language and held the belief to rebuild old Tibet's feudal serfdom under theocracy system.
 
It was until Namgyal's father who realized his grandfather's political dream. In 1951, when Tibet was peacefully liberated by the central government, Namgyal's family did not hesitate to stand for the people, safeguard the unity of China and become the constructor of new Tibet.
 
Namgyal's father, as an important member of Tibet's delegation during the negotiation with the central government in 1951, has contributed positively to reach the Central Government and the Local Government of Tibet on Method for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet(also known as The 17-Article Agreement).
 
Namgyal tells his story
 
With the incoming of the March 28, Serfs' Emancipation Day to mark the 55th anniversary of democratic reform in Tibet, Namgyal received an interview by Chinanews.com to recall his experience.
 
"Old Tibet was a 'solid and stopped' society and the democratic reform changed Tibet dramatically," said Namgyal.
 
In 1959 when the democratic reform was operated, Namgyal was only 12-year-old. Namgyal recalled, "At that time, there were many young beggars from poor families, and the army from inland China always offered food to them", he continued, "Sometimes, I would run into the army camps to watch films with other friends. Every time when children fell asleep at the screening place, the soldiers would always send they home by carrying them on the back, which for the first time I have felt the warmth of the big national family."
 
Namgyal later received well education and was sent to the U.S. for further study in 1986.
 
He has brought back what he had learned abroad to contribute to the construction of Tibet. He once joined the careers of social science, aid-Tibet funds, chamber of commerce and political consultative conference in Tibet.
 
"I still remembered 30 years ago when I first went into the counties after returning back from the U.S., I found no schools and hospitals in the villages. However,things now have totally changed and Tibetan people now are living a prosperous life," said Namgyal.
 
In 2009, Tibet's regional legislature established March 28 as a day to commemorate Tibetan democratic reform that ended the feudal serf system in 1959. The reform freed 1 million Tibetan serfs, or 90 percent of the region's population at that time.