Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Nov. 20: Veteran Tibetan activist Jamyang Tenzin arrived in Dharamshala on Thursday evening after completing his seventh and final Tibet Awareness Solo-Cycle Rally, a journey that spanned approximately 4,000 kilometres across seven Indian states. The 65-year-old cyclist-activist travelled through Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, and Punjab, advocating for Tibet and raising awareness among Indians along the way.
Speaking to Phayul, the 65-year-old activist said he had embarked on this final rally on July 6, dedicating the journey to His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday. He began from the Bylakuppe Tibetan settlement in South India but had to pause midway after contracting typhoid, likely from contaminated water consumed during one of his stops. After recovering, he resumed the rally on October 18 from Wani in Maharashtra.
He initially planned to conclude the rally on December 10, the day Tibetans worldwide observe to mark the Dalai Lama’s 1989 Nobel Peace Prize. However, a recent blast in Delhi prompted him to alter the route out of safety concerns. “It would have been too risky to cycle around and through Delhi after the incident,” he told Phayul, adding that the changed circumstances led him to bring the rally to a close in Dharamshala instead.
Despite the unforeseen challenges, Jamyang said he felt “happy and truly satisfied” to have completed the rally. He expressed a strong desire to continue contributing to the Tibetan freedom struggle “in whatever capacity” his health allows in the future. At the same time, he emphasised that the Tibetan movement cannot rely on a handful of individuals alone but requires collective effort, especially from the younger generation.
“The reason I began these solo-cycle rallies was to inspire Tibetan youth to take part in our struggle and always remember the sufferings of Tibetans inside Tibet,” he said, urging younger Tibetans to actively engage in advocacy, activism, and community initiatives for the Tibetan cause.
Throughout his journey, Jamyang engaged with countless Indians, sharing information about the deteriorating situation inside Tibet. He said many expressed strong solidarity with Tibet and were eager to learn more. He distributed awareness pamphlets en route and encouraged people he met to pass on the information, whether through conversations with family members or via social media platforms.
Over the years, the veteran activist has undertaken several long-distance solo cycling missions to raise awareness on Tibet, covering routes such as Dharamshala to Bodhgaya (3,000 km), Bylakuppe to Dekyiling, Dehradun (3,000 km), Dekyiling to Delhi (250 km), Khardung La (Ladakh) to Dharamshala (800 km), Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh) to Delhi (3,900 km), and Dekyiling to Delhi via Shimla, Manali & Dharamshala (1,500 km). With the completion of his seventh and final rally, Jamyang brings to a close more than a decade of dedicated cycling activism.
