After a month-long spirited march through the Himalayas and the Great Gangetic plains, the 80-strong freedom marchers were all geared up by the dawn of the 10th march- the D-day, for the final onslaught. For the marchers, it was the day of the ultimate realization- the day of the culmination of the Freedom March.
With steadfast resolution and undaunted dedication, the marchers sang the Tibetan National Anthem and National Uprising Song with great fervour and marched from Ladakh Buddha Vihar shouting war-cries of Bod Gyalo and Bod Rangzen etc. A beautiful morning sun blessed and embraced the marchers in its warmth acknowledging the sacredness of the mission.
Amidst wide-scale speculation over the imminent halting of the freedom march by the Indian Government, the never-say –die spirit of the marchers rings loud and clear as the marchers proceed with the awe-inspiring firmness and determination. The marchers were joined by several hundred students and members of Regional Tibetan Youth Congress making the contingent ever more strong. As the march proceeded through ISBT and Lal Kila, suddenly the Delhi Police stopped the freedom march saying that the march was not permitted. Despite explaining the progress of the march and the consequences of such restrictions and the commitments for the continuation by the marchers, the march was halted for few minutes, finally the police personals yielded to the persistence and the march triumphantly proceeded further, escorted by over 300 Delhi police personals. The Freedom March conducted a brief prayer at Gandhi Samadhi at Rajghat. The presence of over several hundred police personals was a maj or highpoint of the march with each pitted against each other in a battle of mental speculation.
Later the march cruised peacefully through Ambedkar Stadium, Zakir Hussain College and Connaught place, Jantar Mantar and the Parliament Street.The marchers distributed leaflets and raised slogans at every interval and finally engulfed the parliament street for the final showdown in all-out force and vigour. The protestors raised vociferous slogans such as Chinese Quit Tibet, Release Release Panchen Lama, Stop Killing of Tulku Tenzin Delek and Release all political prisoners in Tibet, Bachao Bachao Tibbat Bachao etc.The cry of the over 400 marchers reverberates the entire area with a force that command the attention of all bystander and the locals.
The slogan raising continued for over three hours after which a function was held attended by Lama Lobsang, a long-time Tibet supporter and member of National Commission for Schedule Tribes, Shri M.D Diwan, G,Secy, World Buddhist Cultural Foundation, Dr.N.K Trikha, National Convener, Core Group for Tibetan Cause, Shri Amrit Lal Sharma, Convener, Bharat Tibbat Sahyog Manch, and Anil Garg and Mudhati Gupta of Himalayan Parivar, Mr Choekyong Wangchuk of India-Tibet Coordination Office etc. the function commenced with a singing of Tibetan and Indian national anthem, national uprising song and a prayer. The dignitaries then spoke on the urgencies of the Tibetan cause and appealed the Indian brothers for a support for the Tibetan cause which in turn would mean a security for India. They voiced their unflinching support for the Tibet cause in unison. Later TYC Joint Secy Ms Dolma Choephel read out the TYC’s Statement on the 45th National Uprising Day. This was followed by an address by Mr Lobsang Yeshi, Org. Secy, TYC to the gathering. The speech focused on the issues of worsening human rights conditions in Tibet and the need to seek immediate release of all political prisoners in Tibet. The demonstration was also attended by over a score of media personals including ANI, National DD, ZEE news, Associate Press, BBC several News papers, Tibetan Radio Services viz: RFA, VOA, Bod Gyalo and Phayul etc.
Later Chinese flag was burned to condemn the presence of Chinese in Tibet and its inhuman atrocities committed on the innocent Tibetans in Tibet. The demonstration concluded with a forwarding of a memorandum to the Indian Prime Minister and the Chinese embassy SEEKING THE DEMANDS OF THE FREEDOM MARCH to be fulfilled at the earliest possible date or else….
