How far can one go to spread the message of world peace? How’s 20,000 kilometres for an answer? The story of 43-year-old Gyanendra Singh from Uttarakhand is one that makes even the best efforts by marathon cyclists appear pale.
On April 29, 2013, the mathematics tuition teacher set out to complete a 10,000 km-plus cycling tour – his fifth such – to educate youth on the importance of controlling crime. In the past seven months, Singh has covered more than 5,200 km.
“I will cross 15-20 States during my current expedition and traverse major cities like Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad and others,” says Singh, who hails from Kundeshwari village in Uttarakhand.
During his previous four cycling expeditions, Singh clocked a total of 14,775 km, spanning different north-Indian States. In his last tour – from March 21 to July 26 in 2012 – he toured eight northern States on his bicycle. In the current journey, he has been to Madurai, Kanyakumari, Udupi, Sringeri, Mysore and other cities where he delivered lectures in schools and colleges to spread his message of world peace.
“After Hyderabad, I will go to Pune, Ralegaon, Mumbai, Nagpur, Kolkata, Patna, New Delhi, Dehradun and then get back to Ramnagar,” he explained.
For his services, he has received certificates of appreciation from a great many educational institutions and had also been gifted a cycle by Hercules Bicycles.
And what does his family have to say about his tours?
“They don’t understand what I am trying to do, but they don’t say anything. Since I am unmarried, it is easier for me to go whenever I want to,” Singh says.
