Sonam Narboo

Fonction
Ambassadeur de l'Inde en Mongolie
22 février 1971 - février 1975
Naissance	27 mai 1909
Décès	2 février 1980 (à 70 ans)
Formation	Université de Sheffield; Université du Pendjab
Activités	Ingénieur, homme politique
Distinctions	Padma Shri en service civil (1961); Padma Shri

Sonam Narboo alias Sonam Norbu (tibétain : བསོད་ནམས་ནོར་བུ, Wylie : bsod nams nor bu, 27 mai 1909, au village de Skara, près de Leh-2 février 1980^[1]) est un homme politique ladakhi.

Biographie[modifier | modifier le code]

Sonam Narboo est né dans une famille bouddhiste de classe moyenne appelée Nyachu de Leh. Ses parents étaient des fermiers de profession. Sonam Narboo était l'aîné de trois frères et deux sœurs^[2].

Diplômé de l'université du Punjab, il est le premier Ladakhi à avoir étudié en Angleterre, et à y avoir obtenu un diplôme d’ingénierie civile à l’université de Sheffield dans les années 1930^[3].

Sonam Narboo a joué un rôle de premier plan dans l'administration et le développement du Ladakh, ainsi que dans la politique ladakhi dans les années 1940-1970^[4].

Pour ses exploits en ingénierie, qui comprenaient la construction en 1948 de l’aérodrome de Leh, l'aéroport Kushok-Bakula-Rimpoché^[5], l’un des aérodromes les plus hauts du monde, Sonam Narboo a reçu le Padma Shri en 1961^[6].

Il est le premier ambassadeur de l'Inde en Mongolie^[7] de février 1971 à février 1975.

Sonam Narboo devient ministre des travaux et des Affaires du Ladakh du cabinet du cheikh Mohammad Abdullah en 1975 et reste à ce poste jusqu'à sa mort en 1980^[8]. Il est ministre quand il invite en 1976 le dalaï-lama, rencontré l'année précédente, à visiter le Ladakh ^[9]. La visite se déroula sur 19 jours, en août-septembre 1976^[10].

Après la mort de Sonam Narboo en février 1980, son fils, Sonam Wangchuk alias Pinto Narboo, est nommé par le cheikh Mohammad Abdullah dans son cabinet en tant que vice-ministre^[11].

Le Sonam Norbu Memorial Hospital, le seul hôpital du district de Leh, finalisé en 1980, est nommé en sa mémoire ^[12].

Références[modifier | modifier le code]

↑ Prem Singh Jina, Tourism and Buddhist Monasteries of Ladakh Himalaya, 2007, p. 315 : "Thus by doing so he did remarkable job in the infrastructural development of Ladakh. Finally he was recognised as a Ladakh builder and died in 1980."
↑ Virendra Verma, Saroj Kulshreshtha, A legend in his own time, Chewang Rinchen: memoirs, 1998, p. 140 : "Sonam Narboo, which literally means 'lucky gem or diamond', was born in a middle class Buddhist family named Nyachu of Leh. His parents were farmers by profession. Sonam Narboo was the eldest of three brothers and two sisters."
↑ Socialist India, 1974, Volume 10, p. 307 "NORBU Shri Sonam Norbu graduated from Punjab University and obtained an engineering degree from Sheffield University in the UK"
↑ Martijn van Beek, 1998, Worlds apart: autobiographies of two Ladakhi caravaneers compared, FOCAAL, 32: 55-69
↑ An Incredible War: IAF in Kashmir War 1947-1948: IAF in Kashmir War 1947-1948, p. 119, p. 135
↑ Verinder Grover, The Story of Kashmir, 1995 "February 2 Sonam Narboo, Works and Power Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, died. A distinguished engineer, Mr. Narboo was 71. He had served as a Chief Engineer in Jammu and Kashmir as well as the Border Roads Organization. He was India's Ambassador to Mongolia for about four years before he joined Sheikh Abdullah's Cabinet in 1975. For his feats in engineering, which included construction of Leh airfield at one of the highest airfields in the world, Mr. Narboo was awarded Padma Shri.
↑ Rinchen Norbu Wangchuk, When The World Stood Aside, Mongolia Backed India In Recognising Bangladesh!, April 26, 2018
↑ Sudhir S. Bloeria, The battles of Zojila, 1948, 1997, p. 77 "He considered the survey and construction of Kargil-Leh Road as his proudest achievement. Shri Narboo became the Works Minister in the Cabinet of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah in 1975 and remained in that post till his death in 1980."
↑ News Review on China, Mongolia and the Korea, 1976, p. 339 : "The Minister for Ladakh Affairs, Sonam Narboo, invited the Dalai Lama to visit Ladakh when he met him last year. According to sources close to Narboo, the Buddhist leader has now agreed to visit the region in July or August. "
↑ B. L. Kak, Chasing Shadows in Ladakh, 1978, p. 5 : " The plan came to the fore during the Dalai Lama's 19-day visit to Ladakh in August-September 1976."
↑ Verma, op. cit., p. 142 : "When Sonam Narboo died in Feb 1980, his son, Sonam Wangchuk alias Pinto Narboo, was taken by Sheikh Abdullah in his Cabinet as the Deputy Minister for Tourism and Protocol. Presently, Sonam Pinto is running his own hotel, called Shambhala Hotel, in Leh."
↑ Vincanne Adams, Mona Schrempf, Sienna R. Craig, Medicine Between Science And Religion: Explorations on Tibetan Ground, p. 188

[1] Prem Singh Jina, Tourism and Buddhist Monasteries of Ladakh Himalaya, 2007, p. 315 : "Thus by doing so he did remarkable job in the infrastructural development of Ladakh. Finally he was recognised as a Ladakh builder and died in 1980."

[2] Virendra Verma, Saroj Kulshreshtha, A legend in his own time, Chewang Rinchen: memoirs, 1998, p. 140 : "Sonam Narboo, which literally means 'lucky gem or diamond', was born in a middle class Buddhist family named Nyachu of Leh. His parents were farmers by profession. Sonam Narboo was the eldest of three brothers and two sisters."

[3] Socialist India, 1974, Volume 10, p. 307 "NORBU Shri Sonam Norbu graduated from Punjab University and obtained an engineering degree from Sheffield University in the UK"

[4] Martijn van Beek, 1998, Worlds apart: autobiographies of two Ladakhi caravaneers compared, FOCAAL, 32: 55-69

[5] An Incredible War: IAF in Kashmir War 1947-1948: IAF in Kashmir War 1947-1948, p. 119, p. 135

[6] Verinder Grover, The Story of Kashmir, 1995 "February 2 Sonam Narboo, Works and Power Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, died. A distinguished engineer, Mr. Narboo was 71. He had served as a Chief Engineer in Jammu and Kashmir as well as the Border Roads Organization. He was India's Ambassador to Mongolia for about four years before he joined Sheikh Abdullah's Cabinet in 1975. For his feats in engineering, which included construction of Leh airfield at one of the highest airfields in the world, Mr. Narboo was awarded Padma Shri.

[7] Rinchen Norbu Wangchuk, When The World Stood Aside, Mongolia Backed India In Recognising Bangladesh!, April 26, 2018

[8] Sudhir S. Bloeria, The battles of Zojila, 1948, 1997, p. 77 "He considered the survey and construction of Kargil-Leh Road as his proudest achievement. Shri Narboo became the Works Minister in the Cabinet of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah in 1975 and remained in that post till his death in 1980."

[9] News Review on China, Mongolia and the Korea, 1976, p. 339 : "The Minister for Ladakh Affairs, Sonam Narboo, invited the Dalai Lama to visit Ladakh when he met him last year. According to sources close to Narboo, the Buddhist leader has now agreed to visit the region in July or August. "

[10] B. L. Kak, Chasing Shadows in Ladakh, 1978, p. 5 : " The plan came to the fore during the Dalai Lama's 19-day visit to Ladakh in August-September 1976."

[11] Verma, op. cit., p. 142 : "When Sonam Narboo died in Feb 1980, his son, Sonam Wangchuk alias Pinto Narboo, was taken by Sheikh Abdullah in his Cabinet as the Deputy Minister for Tourism and Protocol. Presently, Sonam Pinto is running his own hotel, called Shambhala Hotel, in Leh."

[12] Vincanne Adams, Mona Schrempf, Sienna R. Craig, Medicine Between Science And Religion: Explorations on Tibetan Ground, p. 188

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