(TibetanReview.net, Sep07’20) – Amid chants of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ and ‘Jai Tibet’, Special Frontier Force Tibetan company leader Nyima Tenzin, who died on Aug 29 in a landmine blast while patrolling on the south bank of Pangong Tso lake in Ladakh across India’s border with Chinese occupied Tibet, was laid to rest with full military honour in Leh on Sep 7.
“He lived for the love of Tibet and died for the love of India,” a poster carried in a gathering of thousands of Tibetans was stated to read.
As the Army truck with Nyima Tenzin’s mortal remains left his house in the Tibetan Settlement of Sonamling in Leh, many joined in the funeral procession on their bikes and vehicles. Waving the Inidan tricolour and the Tibetan flag, several others walked to the cremation site, reported indiatoday.in Sep 7.
The coffin was wrapped in both the Indian tricolour and the Tibetan flags. Following the protocol for those killed in action, the Army troops neatly folded the two flags and handed them over to Tenzin’s wife, the report said.
There was an acknowledgment of the Special Frontier Force (SFF), a secret army unit of India, perhaps for the first time as the last rites were performed in full public display, the report noted.
“This is the first time a Tibetan’s sacrifice is known to all of India. It’s important for all of us to come together and recognise them. It’s our responsibility to let everyone know that nobody is forcing them to join the Army, they are doing it on their own,” Dawa Dolma, a journalist working in Leh, was quoted as saying.
The Army has not officially put the details of what led to his death but sources have said he stepped on a vintage landmine. Another SFF paratrooper, Tenzin Londen, deployed in Chushul since early June, was also reported to have been injured in the mine blast.
Among those who paid their last respects was India’s ruling BJP leader Ram Madhav. The BJP leader shared pictures of the funeral in a tweet, which was later deleted, reported ndtv.com Sep 7.
