Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Aug. 17: Kalsang Tharchin, a Tibetan youth and solo marcher, reached the Tibetan settlement at Choglamsar in Leh at around 9 a.m. on Sunday, completing a month-long peace walk from Dharamshala to Ladakh to raise awareness about the urgent need to preserve the Tibetan language and cultural identity, against the threat of eradication due to China’s relentless policies inside occupied Tibet.
Tharchin began his journey from Dharamshala on July 15 and walked approximately 800 kilometres across some of the Himalayas’ most challenging terrain, traversing mountain passes, valleys and remote stretches along the way. He was joined for part of the journey by Stanzin Choedak, a youth from Zanskar, who walked alongside him and supported his campaign, during the last leg of his journey.
Upon reaching Choglamsar, Tharchin was welcomed by representatives of the Tibetan Settlement Office and members of the local Tibetan community, marking the culmination of a physically demanding journey undertaken to draw attention to the importance of safeguarding Tibetan linguistic and cultural heritage.
Speaking to Phayul, Tharchin said the campaign was driven by concerns over policies implemented by the Chinese government that he argued threaten the survival of the Tibetan language and cultural heritage. He also said the walk was undertaken in memory of Lobga Rangzen, a Tibetan independence activist who self-immolated in front of the United Nations Headquarters in New York on July 2.
Tharchin said his campaign was intended not merely as an expression of protest against Chinese policies, but as a positive appeal for the preservation and protection of the Tibetan language. He said the campaign also sought to draw attention to the recent implementation of China’s ethnic unity law, which he believes poses further challenges to the preservation of Tibetan linguistic and cultural identity.
A white flag carried throughout the march served as the central symbol of the campaign. It bears “Ka Kha Ga Nga,” the first four letters of the Tibetan alphabet, representing the Tibetan language, along with a message conveying resilience and victory. Tharchin said the message reflects the broader purpose of the march: to defend the Tibetan language as a fundamental pillar of cultural identity and continuity. Protecting the language, he said, is itself a means of resisting policies that threaten to erode Tibetan cultural heritage.
Having completed the Dharamshala–Leh leg of his journey, Tharchin said he plans to continue walking from Leh towards Pangong Tso, the high-altitude lake near the India-Tibet border, extending his campaign further into Ladakh, the Indian state that borders Tibet.
