ITANAGAR, 23 Dec: The Core Group for Tibetan Cause India’s western regional convener Sandesh Meshram’s sixth ‘janjagaran cycle yatra’, advocating the Tibetans’ cause and highlighting the ongoing struggle for Tibet’s freedom, reached Itanagar on Tuesday.
Meshram’s journey, which began from Bumla near the Indo-Tibet border on 9 December, is expected to conclude in Shillong, Meghalaya on 9 February, covering around 2,604 kms across Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Meghalaya.
Meshram was accorded a warm welcome by the Himalayan Suraksha Manch, Arunachal Pradesh (HSMAP), when he reached Itanagar.
Addressing the gathering, HSMAP president Tarh Tatak lauded Meshram’s unwavering commitment to the Tibetan cause, and described the yatra as a people’s movement rooted in truth, courage, and moral conviction.
Tatak expressed hope that the yatra would further strengthen national awareness about Tibet and India’s border security concerns. He conveyed his best wishes for Meshram’s onward journey to Tuting via Pasighat.
Speaking on the occasion, Meshram said that the yatra will cover approximately 2,604 kms, traversing Arunachal, Assam, and Meghalaya. He said that the journey is also a symbolic gesture marking the Year of Compassion.
Meshram said that, before Tibet’s annexation, there was no historical instance of Chinese forces’ deployment along the Himalayan frontier.
“The disappearance of Tibet as a neutral buffer between India and China profoundly altered bilateral relations. Within a few years of Tibet’s forcible occupation, China waged a bloody war against India, and the shadow of the 1962 Himalayan conflict continues to cloud Sino-Indian relations,” he said.
Meshram further referred to the incident involving the detention of Pema Wangjom Thongdok of Arunachal at the Shanghai airport on 26 November, and China’s continued refusal to recognise Arunachal, which it refers to as ‘Zangnan’, as clear indicators of the ongoing tensions between the two countries.
Slogans such as “Free Tibet – save India” and “Tibet ki azaadi, Bharat ki suraksha” have been consistently raised by Indian Tibet support groups and individuals since 1959, he said, adding that the movement continues with renewed resolve.
Through his previous five janjagaran cycle yatras, Meshram pedalled approximately 25,000 kms, covering over 10 states, including Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Sikkim, Karnataka, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Kerala, during 2014, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.
The 4th yatra was completed in two phases due to health complications after cycling 7,500 kilometres from Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) to Mundgod (Karnataka), he said.
HSMAP secretary-general Nima Sangey said that Meshram’s cycling yatras remain a humble yet powerful initiative to raise awareness about the grave situation prevailing in Tibet.
“Meshram’s voice, rooted in the historic bond between the Tibetan cause and Indian supporters, continues to advocate the revival of freedom in Tibet, intrinsically linked to India’s peaceful border restoration,” he opined.
The HSMAP extended its best wishes to Meshram for a safe and successful onward journey.
