S.M. Lal Mithin Raj, 22, got off the dusty red car in front of the Gandhi statue on Beach Road on Sunday morning. The slightly damaged front portion of the car had the tale of a difficult journey to tell.
The first-year MBA student was on his way back to Kanniyakumari from Kashmir when he stopped at the coastal town. From a village in Nagercoil, he set out to create a record completing his lone journey.
Said to be the longest solo car expedition in India, he began his trip from Kanniyakumari on July 27. “I wanted to start my expedition on the day of the death anniversary of former President Abdul Kalam,” he said.
The zeal to take the road less travelled motivated him to take up the challenge to cover 17,000 km. Mr. Raj drove through the bumpy roads, passing conflict zones in north eastern States and Kashmir to reach Kanniyakumari within 19 days. “Every day posed a new challenge. I had to cover at least 1,200 km a day. When the weather conditions and dangerous terrains became a hurdle in reaching my target, I had to cover it in the subsequent days. In States like Assam and Kashmir, I was not allowed to travel during the night,” he said.
Hailing from a middle-class family, he said parents should allow children to pursue their passion instead of pressuring them to earn. “There are many things to explore. Parents should provide them the opportunities. I took out this expedition to create awareness among people,” he said.
Apart from this, he wants to carry a message against the practice of child labour and clean India campaign. “The number of working children between 4 and 16 years of age crosses more than a million,” he said.
D. Moses Selva Kumar, general secretary, Indian Speed Skating Association, also the organiser of the expedition, said Mr. Raj would receive Asia Book of Records, India Book of Records and Assist World Records on August 15 when he would reach Kanniyakumari.
