India paid a public and thunderous tribute to Tibetan soldier Nyima Tenzin, who died in a landmine blast carrying out an Indian Army operation on the southern bank of Pangong Tso (lake) in Ladakh against China.
Hundreds of Indians, including ruling party politician Ram Madhav attended a wreath-laying ceremony for the Tibetan soldier Nyima Tenzin in Ladakh on Monday and paid last respects to the soldier who sacrificed his life for India.
Special Frontier Forces's Nima Tenzin being cremated in Ladakh amidst presence of Tibetan community & Tibetan holy prayers. https://t.co/R3eke9qSU3 pic.twitter.com/JXXs9mK4VE
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) September 7, 2020
The mortal remains of Tenzin were draped in both the Indian national flag and the Tibetan flag amid holy chants of Tibetan prayers and hail India slogans.
Tenzin was the commander of India's Special Frontier Force, created during the India-China war in 1962 and joined by Tibetan nationals in India to resist so-called Chinese expansionism due to which their forefathers had to leave Tibet and take refuge in India.
Ram Madhav, national general secretary of the ruling BJP who is in Ladakh for the ceremony, said in a tweet "let the sacrifices of the valiant Tibetan soldier bring peace along the Indo-Tibetan border" before he deleted the post.
A clear message has been given to China by BJP leader Ram Madhav . It's time to #FreeTibet from Chinese occupation.
— Sajid 🍁 (@Beingsajiddarr) September 7, 2020
Although Tweet has been deleted by Ram Madhav but message is very clear. pic.twitter.com/K5RS6Ve4q6
Until now the SFF was kept under a shroud of secrecy to carry out covert operation, however, the public wreath-laying ceremony for the soldier has come as a significant development in India-China relations.
"Nothing can be more humiliating to China than India's use of its Special Frontier Force comprised of mainly Tibetan exiles to foil the latest PLA incursion. A distrusting China excludes Tibetans from the PLA. But the valour of India's Tibetan soldiers made the PLA intruders retreat", strategic affairs analyst Brahma Chellaney said on Twitter over the development.
Initially known as Establishment 22, the SFF has carried out significant operations - including during the war between India and Pakistan in 1971 for the liberation of East Pakistan or present-day Bangladesh.
