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.
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.
The march started at 6am and covered 20 kilometers, reaching Bilaspur, Uttar Pradesh. Mr Yadav, the principal of the Punjab Primary School, permitted the marchers to camp on the playground. The marchers enjoyed bathing in a stream of heavy water from a farmer’s pump after the especially hot day.
The marchers left Moradabad at 6am and walked 25 kilometers. They camped on a big ground located near Bawabpur stadium. The owner of the ground, Mr Gulzar Khan, a timber merchant from Rampur, generously provided electricity and water for the marchers to take showers and to do their laundry.
The marchers had an active day in the afternoon playing soccer, cricket and badminton in the stadium, despite the heat.
The marchers left from Pakwara at 6am and covered a total of 20 kilmeters.
The marchers paused in Moradabad to hold a prayer session at Dr. Ambedkar Park to mark the 10th anniversary of Martyr Thupten Ngodup’s self immolation for the Tibetan cause. This was followed by a press conference at 10:30am. The organizing committee would like to thank Mr. Junaid Aiyjaj, a lawyer and a friend of Mr. Rajiv Vohra, who helped in coordinating with the press.
The marchers left Moradabad around noon and reached Ektav Vihar where they are camping for the night.
Check the “About the Marchers” section for regular additions of biographies of the marchers. Today’s biography is of Ngawang Tendol, a nun who spent 5 years in prison in Tibet for yelling “Free Tibet”.
The marchers today reached Pakwara, Uttar Pradesh, about 9 kilometers before Moradabad. After dinner, they held a special prayer session for the Tibetans killed in the uprising in Tibet.
The marchers were happy to welcome 54 new people to the March. The group of new marchers reached the camp at 3am.
The freshly rested marchers quickly covered the 23 kilometers to reach a Hindu temple outside Jalal Pur. During the march, the Manager of Bharat Petroleum gas station, Gajraula, generously provided cold water to all marchers to quench their thirst. Near the night’s resting place, the local A-1 Plaza offered free showers to the marchers in their sleek facilities. Later in the evening after the daily prayer session, the marchers actively participated in a discussion on India’s involvement in the Tibet issue.
To celebrate the Panchen Lama’s 19th birthday, the marchers rested in an ashram in Bridge Gat near the Holy Ganges River. The day began with a khata ceremony and a birthday cake for the Panchen Lama (sponsored by Ashang Lhakpa Tsering from the Organizing Committee). In the afternoon, the marchers watched a documentary of the Panchen Lama’s life, entitled “Tibet’s Stolen Child”, on the roof of the ashram. The marchers also contributed to a fund to buy biscuits and treats for the local children to celebrate the day.
The marchers enjoyed special meals throughout the day. At breakfast, they had Tibetan butter tea and sweet dey see with cashew nuts. Lunch featured cold soft drinks sponsored by the Ngawang Woebar, President of the GuChuSum Movement of Tibet.
The two local tea wallahs had a booming day as the marchers relaxed in their shops. The local street monkeys also enjoyed a bountiful day of gifted and stolen food.
The marchers left Simbhali campsite at 8am and walked 10 km to Bridge Ghat near the Holy Ganges River. They reached Ashram where they were to spend the night by 11:30am and spent the rest of the day.
An unfortunate incident happened at the Ashram when a local monkey fancied the mobile phone used to do the live Comvu webcast. The mischievous monkey chewed it into several pieces making it impossible to do any live webcasts for a few days until the mobile is fixed. The Communications Team apologises for any inconvenience.
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