Tribune News Service
Shimla, September 4
The local Tibetan community gave a warm and emotional farewell to the Special Border Force (SFF) soldiers who were heading to the Chinese border here this morning.
Standing by the roadside, waving Indian and Tibetan flags and raising slogans of India-Tibet friendship, the gathering, comprised of young children, young and old, had tears in their eyes as they bid farewell to the soldiers.
“It is a moment of great pride for us,” said Sansad’s local Tibetan secretary, Palden Dhondup. “Seeing our men deployed against China is a very emotional moment for us for obvious reasons,” he added.
A former military man in the crowd said the SFF plays a crucial role in the mountains. “Besides training in mountain warfare, we are naturally gifted when it comes to operating in the mountains,” he said.
The SFF arose after the 1962 war against China. Initially, the force comprised only the Tibetans, but later the Gorkhas were also installed.
