Tibetans give warm send-off to Special Frontier Force on way to Indo-China border

Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 4

The local Tibetan community gave a warm and emotional send-off to the soldiers of the Special Frontier Force (SFF) heading to the China border here this morning.

Standing on the roadside, flying the Indian and Tibetan flags and raising slogans of India-Tibet friendship, the gathering, comprising toddlers, young and old, had tears in their eyes as they waved goodbye to the soldiers.

“It is a moment of great pride for us,” said local Tibetan Sansad Secretary Palden Dhondup. “To see our men deployed against China is a very emotional moment for us for obvious reasons,” he added.

An ex-Army man in the crowd said that the SFF plays a crucial role in the mountains. “Besides the training in mountain warfare, we are naturally gifted when it comes to operating in the mountains,” he said.

The SFF was raised following the 1962 war against China. Initially, the force comprised only the Tibetans, but later the Gorkhas too were inducted.