By Tenzin Tsering
Dharamsala, October 7 : A Tibetan man stuck in Southern Indian port city of Chennai since September 20 as Indian Customs officials withheld his motorbike due to “incomplete” documents is all smiles again after he, with help from a Tibetan family in Canada, managed to release his BMW motorcycle yesterday.
Lhakpa said he is grateful to Rubling family from Canada who has paid the bond deposit of $18000 to the Canadian Automobile Association and sent the required documents to the Chennai Customs Office. “I want to thank them (Rubling family) so much for saving my dream to complete this Free Tibet World Bike Tour, I am so much indebted to them for their benevolence and patriotism,” said elated Lhakpa over the phone from Chennai.
Lhakpa, who was hosted by the Tibetan Students’ Association of Madras (TSAM), will begin his last leg of the tour today from Chennai and stop by in Bangalore where the Tibetan students and business community will welcome him at the Tibetan students’ hostel at Koramangala.
Lhakpa Tsering, a Tibetan immigrant based in the US started his Free Tibet World tour from the United Nations Office in New York City on March 10 this year to coincide with the 51st Tibetan national uprising day. Since then, Lhakpa travelled around the world, passing through 22 countries, on his motorcycle for more than 7 months, creating awareness about Tibet and garnering support.
Lhakpa planned to conclude his tour at Dharamsala, the headquarters of the exile Tibetan government, this month. His plans, however, were almost foiled after custom authorities in Chennai seized his bike, a BMW motorcycle, after his arrival in India and refused to release the bike to its owner.
“I am very happy,” said Lhakpa, a former student of the Tibetan Children’s Village here.
The BMW motorcycle with its license plate ‘Tibet 1’ will pass through several Indian states before reaching here.
Lhakpa will also pass through Hunsur, Bylakuppe and Kollegal Tibetan settlements on his way to Bangalore. He also plans to ride through Mumbai, Pune and Delhi before reaching here.
Lhakpa, who grew up as an orphan at the Tibetan Childrens’ Village (TCV) school said he will reach Dharamsala on 29 October, a day before his former school’s golden jubilee celebrations.
“We are very inspired by the sheer determination of Lhakpa la, and we wish him luck in his mission to complete the world tour,” said Wangdue Tsering, President of TSAM.
