Watch: Message to China as Tibetan soldier martyred at LAC gets public funeral

A funeral with mass public participation was held in Ladakh for a martyred Tibetan soldier. Company Leader Nyima Tenzin, of the Special Frontier Force, was killed in a landmine explosion during an operation at the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh, on August 29-30. The army truck carrying his mortal remains was adorned with the Indian tricolour and the Tibetan flag. Many people followed the truck on their vehicles, carrying the same flags. Chants of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Tibet Desh Ki Jai' were heard at the venue of the cremation. The forces bid adieu to the fallen soldier with full military honours, including a gun salute by a ceremonial guard. The solemn ceremony was attended by top politicians like Ram Madhav and Lok Sabha member Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, both from the Bharatiya Janata Party. As per experts, this was the first time that a soldier of the SFF was given a public funeral. It could be seen as a message to China amid the current border standoff. Chinese forces also occupy Tibet, and India has acted as a haven for Tibetans, including their spiritual leader Dalai Lama, fleeing persecution.