BJP's Ram Madhav attends Tibetan soldier's funeral, later deletes tweet

The martyred soldier, commando Nyima Tenzin, belonged to the Special Frontier Force (SFF), a unit consisting of Tibetan soldiers who owe their allegiance to the Indian Army.

The troupe, which was reportedly formed after the 1962 Indo-China war, remained a secret for years.

Members of the unit hold HH Dalai Lama, the Tibetan flag, and the Indian tricolor in great regards.

China has been occupying Tibet since 1951, much to the displeasure of the natives who have always regarded their country as an independent one.

In 1959, an uprising against the Chinese government, led by HH Dalai Lama, failed, forcing the revered personality to seek refuge in India.

Like him, thousands of others also settled here, with some even getting Indian citizenship.

Tellingly, as Beijing's transgressions along LAC are continuing many have been prodding the Centre to recognize and assist Tibet's struggle. Observers believe aiding Tibetans will help India embolden its fight against China.

Seemingly following the same line of thought, Madhav attended the funeral and also wrote about the soldiers' sacrifices in a tweet.

However, in an embarrassing flip-flop, he deleted the post soon.

Now, by giving a befitting funeral to Tenzin, India indicated that it respects the sacrifices of Tibetan soldiers. The mortal remains of the braveheart were wrapped in both the Tibetan flag and the tricolor.

He was given a gun salute by Army, officials from the civil administration laid a wreath, and those present at the funeral raised "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" slogans.

Later, the two flags were neatly folded and handed over to Tenzin's wife. The braveheart also leaves behind a daughter and two sons.

Speaking about the unprecedented ceremony, Dawa Dolma, a local journalist, told India Today, "It's our responsibility to let everyone know that nobody is forcing them (Tibetans) to join the Army, they are doing it on their own."

Just last week, the Indian government revealed that China's attempt to change the status quo at the Southern bank of Pangong Tso on the night of August 29 and 30 were thwarted by the Indian Army.

The latest incident fueled the already raging tensions but China denied any wrongdoing on its part, saying that channels for dialogue with India are open.