The marchers set out from Jeolikote at 6 am and quickly covered the 18 kilometers to reach Nainital. Their energy was lifted as they approached the hills, giving the marchers a sense of being closer to Tibet. The marchers were welcomed to Nainital around noon by the Tibetan Community in Nainital who stood by the road waving Tibetan flags. The local Tibetan residents, from around 40 families, heartily welcomed the marchers with khatas. The marchers are staying at the Gomang Gaden Kunkyopling Monastery situated on top of a hill for the next 2 days, while they participate in orientation sessions, panel discussions, and a candlelight vigil.
The Tibetan Refugee Foundation, Regional TYC and TWA are hosting the marchers’ meals for the two-day stop in Nainital. The residents are taking very good care of all the marchers. Everyone is really enjoying the cooler weather in the hills.
Mr. A. Singh of Haldwani, a long time Tibet supporter who donated a large sum of money and food, came to visit the marchers again in Nainital after his visits at Haldwani and Jeolikote.
Phayul
May 6, 2008
By Tenzin Chodon
Dharamsala - After sixteen days of tireless walking in the North Indian summer, marchers have finally reached Nainital, a town in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Nainital or ‘Lake district of India’ was the only route mentioned by the organizing committee on their march to Tibet.
The 270 marchers who arrived in town this afternoon were welcomed by the Sweater Sellers Association and the Tibetan Khampa Association with ceremonial Tibetan scarves. Residents carried Tibetan flags and cheered the marchers as they made their latest stop. Regional TYC along with the other two associations have arranged for their stay as a gesture of goodwill and encouragement. (more…)
At the age of 16 with his political awareness already resolved, Gyaltsen Wangchuk set out for Lhasa on the morning of March 3, 1989, with three fellow student monks from Nyethang Monastery. They started marching around the Tibetan capital waving the banned Tibetan flag. People began joining them in droves. This was the beginning of the Tibetan People’s Uprising of March 1989 - the most broad-based and significant citizen’s revolt by Tibetans against Chinese rule until the uprising of this year. For three days, these four teenage monks from a rural monastery roamed the sacred city, stirring up the emotions of the people. By day four, with a police station burned, police vehicles vandalized, rocks being hurled at Chinese security police and soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army, Gyaltsen and his companions slipped back to their monastery. They were arrested there on April 3, 1989 by local police with submachine guns who recognized him from photographs from the protests. Six jeeps came to take them away in handcuffs. (more…)
The Daily News Journal
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
May 5, 2008
Pema Richeson and her parents moved to Rutherford County in 1996. These days, the 2003 Oakland High School graduate is thousands of miles away in India, marching to Tibet with a group of freedom marchers.
The 23-year-old is involved with Tibetan Freedom Movement and is a communications/media team member for the March to Tibet. As China prepares to host the Olympics this summer, international attention and activism has increased surrounding Tibet, a region that has long sought freedom from China’s control.
“The March to Tibet is an initiative launched by five leading Tibetan non-governmental organizations in Dharamsala, India, exiled-home of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile,” said Richeson from India. “(It) currently has 250 core members who are committed to walking to Tibet, and eight Western support marchers. The aim of the march is to raise awareness about Tibetans’ plight.” (more…)
The marchers started as usual at 6am and walked 20 kilometers through woods, and began marching uphill into the foothills. The weather was extraordinarily pleasant with a light shower and cool breeze. Along the way, the marchers sang patriotic songs and enjoyed the cool weather.
The Additional District Magistrate of Nainital permitted to the marchers to camp at the Public Works Department rest house in Jeolikote, Nainital District. Mr. Govind Rawat, the village leader generously provided water for the marchers.
Many marchers found the evening particularly cold after the heat of the plains.
At 17 years old, Tenzin Dawa is the youngest member of the March to Tibet, and represents well the young generation of Tibetans concerned about their future. He grew up in the Dekyiling Tibetan Settlement in Dehradun with his mother and two older siblings. His mother supports them by weaving Tibetan aprons. Tenzin attended Tibetan schools with a focus on the language and culture of his homeland. He has traveled throughout India and Nepal singing Tibetans songs at concerts. Tenzin plans to join the orchestra division of the Indian army to improve his skills while earning money for his mother.
With an easy laugh and a passion for football, he has made many friends since he joined the march at New Delhi, especially among the monks. Tenzin says he joined the march because while in India, “You’re not in your own country and you haven’t seen your own country. I always wonder when I can see Tibet and often pray that I can see Tibet as soon as possible. If I am able to cross the border, I would be able to see Tibet. But on both side there’s a possibility of prison but I will bear any suffering.” Tenzin is an inspiring and determined young man who’s fun to be around.
The marchers left the camp at 6am and walked 20 kilometers. They reached Haldwani around noon, where they camped at the Vatika Banquet Hall, owned by Mr. RaKumar, a local timber merchant. Mr. Rajiv Vinayak, son of the owner of the Vatika Banquet Hall visited the campsite to welcome the marchers.
In the evening, the Association of Tibetans in Nainital hosted dinner for the marchers at Phayul Choekorling Gonpa in the heart of Haldwani. Everyone enjoyed the dinner, and the kitchen staff greatly appreciated the break. Mr. Pema G Sithar, President of Tibetan Refugee Foundation of Nainital, introduced Mr. Tashi Wangdue, President of Bhutia Mala Bazaar, and Mr. Jamphel, President of Bhutia Janjati in Nainital, to the marchers. The guests spoke about their origins, tracing their ancestry to the Tibetan community who was based in Nainital before the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1959. They expressed a deep appreciation for the sense of responsibility taken by Tibetans everywhere for achieving Tibetan freedom.
The March started early this morning, leaving Rudrapur at 5am, and quickly covered 27 kilometers in 6 hours. The day was hot but marchers were quite tireless. They camped at Lal Kuan, Uttrakhand State, on the playground of the Inter-Government College.
Local members of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh heartily welcomed members of Organizing Committee with garlands. In the evening after the news briefing, the marchers were shown a collection of television news about the Tibetan Uprising, both inside and outside Tibet, from March 10th to present.
Michael Bramadat Willcock, a 22 year old support marcher from Quebec, Canada, grew up hearing about the Tibet issue. His parents took him to protest the illegal occupation in front of the Chinese embassy in Ottawa every year and he saw the Dalai Lama during His Holiness’ visit to Canada. In 2007, the family took a trip to Ladakh where they stayed with a Tibetan family. He trekked to a place near the border where he saw the Rooftop of the World for the first time in his life and swore to cross those mountains someday. (more…)
Kunsang, 60, has a loving genuine smile that glows in her beautiful wrinkled face. This tough lady doesn’t talk about the ailments and setbacks in her life with any rancor. She just smiles sadly.
At nine years old, Kunsang fled from Lho Dongkar, a village near Lhasa, with her parents. She remembers the sound of machine gun fire and bombs falling as the Chinese attacked the crowd outside the Potala Palace recently vacated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama after his escape to India. They walked most of the way to the border and crossed into Bhutan where her stepfather died of old age. Kunsang’s mother supported her for the next three years in Bumdela, Aruncahal Pradesh by woodworking until finally succumbing to a long and painful stomach ailment.
Her mother’s family sent her to school in Orissa for the next three years and then arranged a marriage to a man in the Indian Army. Unfortunately, she fell sick with same disease as her mother and had to go to Rajpur where it took her three years to fully recover. She stayed in Rajpur to work as a carpet maker and only got to see her husband on holidays. They had four children together but one little girl died after a month from boils. They lost their 13 year old son after he collapsed at school one day and died instantly from unknown causes. Her remaining daughter now sells sweaters and her son sold cosmetics in Rikikesh until he came down with jaundice. (more…)
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