Dharamshala — Two former Special Frontier Force (SFF) veterans, Lodoe Palden and Jamyang Tenzin, launched a 90-day motorbike campaign to honour His Holiness the Dalai Lama's Year of Compassion and express their deep gratitude to India. They also wish to draw attention to China's systematic erasure of Tibetan identity and urge India to reaffirm the historical reality that its border is with Tibet, not China. This campaign aims to strengthen Indo-Tibetan ties, defend the truth, and protect Tibet's cultural and national identity.
Jamyang Tenzin, a Tibetan activist who has ridden the solo cycle rally for Tibet seven times in recent years, and Lodoe Palden, former president of the Tibetan Youth Congress in Bir, Mandi district. They launched their campaign on motorbike in front of the statue of Tibetan martyrs in Dharamshala, on the occasion of the 36th anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Human Rights Day on December 10, 2025.
They will ride through 21 states and two union territories of India over three months with four objectives: to celebrate His Holiness the Dalai Lama's Year of Compassion, to express their deep gratitude to India, to raise awareness about China's systematic erasure of Tibetan identity, and to appeal to India to recognise Tibet's historical status.
Jamyang Tenzin stated at a press conference, "The year 2025 marks the Year of Compassion, celebrated worldwide in honour of the 90th birthday of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. His message of compassion, non-violence, and universal responsibility remains a guiding light in an era marked by polarization and conflict. This nationwide ride pays tribute to His Holiness' lifelong commitment to peace, moral values, and the betterment of humanity.
“More than sixty years have passed since Tibetans sought refuge in India following China's invasion and occupation of Tibet in 1959. Over the decades, India has offered Tibetans security, dignity and freedom, enabled them to rebuild their communities, supported the preservation of Tibetan culture, language, religion and identity, provided them with land to settle, schools and institutions, and allowed Tibetans to establish a functioning democratic government in exile. The Tibetan people remain deeply and eternally grateful to India for its generosity and unwavering support,” the Tibetan activists said.
Lodoe Palden said, “In Tibet, China continues an intense and deliberate campaign to dismantle Tibetan identity. More than one million Tibetan children are placed in state-run colonial boarding schools from the age of four or five, forcibly separated from their families, culture, religion and mother tongue. Severe restrictions are imposed on the Tibetan language, religious practice and cultural expression. Policies aim at forced assimilation and total control of the daily lives of Tibetans. These actions constitute an existential threat to the survival of the Tibetan people as a distinct culture and nation.”
Then the riders urge the Government of India and the Indian public to reaffirm a historically undeniable truth: India shares its border with Tibet-not with China. They said, “Historically and culturally, India's northern frontier aligned with Tibet. And it is undeniable that Border tensions began only after China's occupation of Tibet. Recognizing Tibet as an occupied nation, not a part of China, strengthens: India's national security, regional stability, the global effort to preserve Tibet's unique cultural and political identity. A free and independent Tibet would naturally resolve current border conflicts and restore the traditional Indo Tibetan boundary.”
The campaign calls upon the people of India, supporters, and all institutions to stand with Tibet, to uphold truth and justice, to protect a civilization rooted in compassion and peace, and to support efforts to preserve Tibetan identity, culture, and freedom.
