Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], December 10 (ANI): Two former Special Frontier Force (SFF) veterans are embarking on a 90-day motorbike ride across India to honour the Dalai Lama’s Year of Compassion, express gratitude to India, and raise awareness about China’s assault on Tibetan identity.
Lodoe Pladen and Jamyang Tenzin, who later served as a representative of the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress (RTYC) Bir and a member of RTYC Dekyiling, will cover over 21 states and several union territories from December 10, 2025 to March 10, 2026.
The campaign is supported by Tibetan NGOs and parliamentarians, who gathered at the Martyr’s Pillar in Dharamshala to flag off the ride on Wednesday.
Lodoe Pladen, one of the bikers, told ANI, “We are going to start this bike rally for the next 90 days. We will cover more than 21 states and a few union territories across india, and it will be concluded in Delhi on the 10th of March 2026. We have been living as refugees in India for more than sixty-five years, and during these decades, India has provided safety, dignity, and freedom to us. We want to express our gratitude towards the people of India. The Government of India has supported the preservation of Tibetan culture, language, religion, and identity and offered land for settlements, schools and institutions.”
Both riders expressed gratitude for India’s generosity and support in preserving Tibetan culture, language, and identity and highlighted China’s systematic erasure of Tibetan identity, including forced separation of children from families and culture.
Another biker, Jamyang Tenzin, told ANI, “The Tibetan people remain deeply and eternally grateful to India for its unwavering generosity and support, and we want to thank the people of India through our campaign, and we also want to raise awareness about China’s systematic erasure of Tibetan identity. Over one million Tibetan children are placed in state-run colonial boarding schools as young as four or five, forcibly separated from family, culture, religion and mother tongue. The riders urge the Government of India and the Indian public to reaffirm a historically undeniable truth as India shares its border with Tibet-not with China.”
They urged India to acknowledge Tibet’s historical status and reaffirm its border with Tibet.
Tsering Chomphel, President TYC, told ANI, “We are here to encourage and support the bike rally. We want to support their efforts to preserve Tibetan identity, culture, and freedom. The campaign calls upon the people of India, supporters and all institutions to stand with Tibet.” (ANI)
