Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, Sept. 28: Jamyang Tenzin, a 64-year-old Tibetan activist, embarked on his fifth Tibet Awareness Solo-Cycle Rally from Tawang to Delhi on September 27. The rally started at Urgenling, the birthplace of the 6th Dalai Lama in Tawang. His rally coincides with the 37th anniversary of the revival of Tibetan protest uprising in Lhasa in 1987.
The veteran cyclist’s journey will span from Mon Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh to Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Throughout his route, Tenzin plans to highlight issues faced by Tibetans under Chinese occupation, including the forced closure of educational institutions and the systematic attempts to eradicate Tibetan identity, language, and culture.
Tenzin’s objectives for this rally focus on three points; demanding the return of Tibet to the Tibetan people; the end to Chinese policies that aim to eliminate Tibetan identity. and appeals to the Indian government and citizens for support for Tibet.
This rally marks Tenzin’s fifth awareness cycle. His previous journeys covered distances across India. The first took him from Dharamshala to Bodhgaya, spanning 3000 km. The second journey went from Bylakuppe in Karnataka to Dekyiling in Dehradun, also covering 3000 km. His third rally went from Dekyiling to Delhi, a distance of 250 km. The fourth journey took him from Ladakh Khardung La to Dharamshala, covering 800 km.
The Tibetan Youth Congress also launched a bicycle rally campaign a few days prior on September 24th, set to conclude on October 1st, marking the 75th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China. The rally, which involves over 50 Tibetans of all ages, began in Dekyiling and will pass through Chandigarh before culminating in New Delhi.
Gonpo Dhondup, President of the Tibetan Youth Congress, stated that the campaign’s objectives are to demand an end to policies aimed at eradicating Tibetan identity, call for human rights for Tibetans inside Tibet, and appeal for increased support from India for the Tibetan cause.
