People might be different according to their State and language but they all feel that we are all Hindustani. This is the impression of a three-member motorcycle expedition team from Indore (Madhya Pradesh) that is on the fag end of its Bharat Parikrama.
Problems are everywhere but people think about how to overcome them, said team leader Arun Nigam at a press conference here on Tuesday. He along with Chandrasekhar Chouhan and Ashish Dhande left Indore on April 28 for their Bharat Parikrama – the Vivekananda national integration motorcycle expedition – and expect to return to Indore on July 7 after travelling 18,000 km on their motorcycles through all the States and five Union Territories.
Mr. Nigam and Mr. Chouhan are employees of LIC and Mr. Dhande is a journalist and a trained mountaineer. Mr. Nigam has a degree in journalism and also authored books while Mr. Chouhan is a trade union leader of LIC. The expedition is meant to spread international peace and understanding, environment protection, communal harmony and national integration.
The Youth Hostellers have undertaken the expedition to mark the 150 birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
They are returning home with a load of pleasant experiences. Whether it is in Manipur or Gujarat or Andhra Pradesh people supported them very well. “We are ordinary individuals but the people’s support boosted our energy and we went along with our routes with lot of enthusiasm”, Mr. Nigam said. If we are doing a right thing we don’t face any problem, he feels.
In Assam one person insisted that the three should stay at his house, since they are trying to do something for the country.
Authorities of a Jain temple at Mandvi in Gujarat hosted them and at Rameswaram the motorcyclists met the family members of former president APJ Abdul Kalam. Chief Minister of Tripura Manik Sarcar gave them an appointment for five minutes but spent nearly 30 minutes as they spoke about their expedition and experiences.
About people in Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Nigam said: “They have a special type of simplicity. Very plain and more sensitive about their guests”.
Chairman of State unit of YHAI Ch. Sreenivasa Prasad said the motorcycle expedition was being organised by the Indore unit of YHAI and being supported by YHAI units along the route. Andhra Pradesh State secretary of YHAI N. Nageswara Rao informed that the three were part of a team of 110 motorcyclists that went on an expedition in 2009 to mark the 60 years of YHAI and 100 years of international movement of youth hostels. Treasurer A. Pundarikaksha was also present.
The three motorcyclists are also trying to enter the Guinness Book of World Records under the longest journey by motorbike in a country category.