The Hindu : New Delhi News : Hitting the road with a mission

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Wednesday, Dec 10, 2008
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Hitting the road with a mission

Cyclist Bhausaheb Bhawar has criss-crossed India to foster national integration

Photo: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar

For a cause: Cyclist Bhausaheb Bhawar who is on a nationwide tour to promote national integration and eradication of dowry.

Armed with just a bicycle, Bhausaheb Bhawar from Maharashtra is on a mission to foster national integration and encourage people to say no to the evil practice of dowry.

Pedalling his Hercules sports bike that was gifted to him by Andhra Pradesh Governor N. D. Tiwari, the 37-year-old cyclist was in the Capital on Monday to talk about his mission of uniting the minds and hearts of people living in all States and Union Territories across the country.

While a number of cyclists with a streak for adventure have pedalled across the nook and corner of the country, what makes Bhawar a breed apart is that he has been cycling with intermittent gaps since 1993.

“After the bomb blasts in Mumbai in 1993 that happened soon after the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, I was deeply disturbed. Although I was seething with rage I thought I must channel all my negative thoughts and energies into something positive. So I set out on my bike from Maharashtra to travel across the country. So far I have cycled the length and breadth of the country three times and will soon complete my fourth expedition,” he says.

During his ongoing cycling expedition, Bhawar has covered the southern States and will be travelling to other parts of the country including Haryana and Punjab before concluding his trip in Jammu and Kashmir.

Close shave

Recalling that at times his journey was fraught with danger, Bhawar says once while cycling inside a forest between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka he was chased by a raging elephant. “It was actually sandalwood poacher Veerappan’s territory. Suddenly the jungle’s tranquillity was shattered by an angry elephant that charged towards me. Realising that it was a life-and-death situation, I pedalled with all my might and escaped,” he adds.

Madhur Tankha

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