5th Janjagaran Cycle Yatra inaugural programme in Kolkata, West Bengal on 5th Nov. 2023.
New Delhi: Sandesh Meshram aka Samten Yeshi, a longtime friend of Tibet, currently serving as one of the Regional Conveners of the Core Group for Tibetan Cause – India (CGTC-I) and also a member of India Tibet Friendship Society (ITFS), Nagpur initiated his 5th Janjagaran Cycle Yatra with the message of ‘Free Tibet, Save India’ including the campaign for the release of Tibetan environmentalist and philanthropist Karma Samdrup on 5th November, 2023 from Kolkata, West Bengal.
The inaugural programme of the yatra was held at the Buddhist Monastery in Kolkata attended by Adv. Ruby Mukherjee, Tibet Supporter and former CGTC-I member; local Indian supporters and the members of Tibetan community in Kolkata including the Tibetan sweater sellers’ association members. Sandesh Meshram briefed the members about his janjagaran cycle yatra and its importance for the cause of Tibet. Taking the blessings of Lord Buddha, he embarked on his janjagaran cycle yatra with the members offering him khatak and bidding him with words of gratitude and wishes for his good health and a successful yatra.
The 5th Janjagaran Cycle Yatra starting from Kolkata, West Bengal covering a distance of 2500 km approximately passing through the cities and towns of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi will conclude on 10th December, 2023 at the national capital New Delhi.
The main purpose of the cycle yatra is to create awareness among the general Indian masses about Tibet and the critical situation prevailing inside Tibet under the oppressive policies of the Communist Chinese regime. This cycle yatra is also carrying out a campaign for the release of Tibetan environmentalist and philanthropist Karma Samdrup who is sentenced to 15 years in prison on false charges by the Chinese authority. The campaign also calls for the release of all Tibetan political prisoners sentenced falsely and being tortured in prisons.
Prior to this, Shri Meshram had organised four such cycle yatras. The first cycle yatra was in 2014 titled “Save Tibet Cycle Campaign” from Nagpur – covering a distance of 4000 km, crossing through five states including Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana. This was then followed by his second cycle yatra in 2016 titled “Cycle Rally to Save Tibet” from Nagpur, crossing through Madhya Pradesh; Uttar Pradesh and reached Bodh Gaya, Bihar – covering 1200 km.
The third cycle yatra was in 2017 that begun on 20th October to mark the Sino-Indian War from Bodh Gaya to Nathu-La Pass, Sikkim covering 1270 km. The fourth cycle yatra had to be carried out in two phases due to his health problem in-between the yatra. The first was from Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh to Mundgod, Karnataka in Dec. 2019 to Feb. 2020 covering 7500 km approx. and the second from Mundgod, Karnataka to Bengaluru, Karnataka from 10th Dec. 2021 to 10th January, 2022 covering a distance of 2000 km approx. passing through the major cities, towns and villages of Uttara Kannada, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
During the writing of this report, Sandesh Meshram had covered a distance of 92 km in five days with halts at Kharagpur and Nayagram in West Bengal and Jamshedpur and Bundu in Jharkand.
–Filed by ITCO, New Delhi
Sandesh Meshram with common Indian people on the way during his cycle yatra.
Sandesh Meshram in Kharagpur, Nayagram, jamshedpur and Bundu.
