Amandeep Singh, who has been cycling since 2008 to campaign against alcohol addiction, passed through Bidar last week, on his way to Nanded, Maharashtra.
The 55-year-old amateur cyclist said he had covered over two lakh kilometres in 25 States. He planned to continue cycling for some time, though he was “not chasing numbers”.
Record holder
He said he had already crossed a milestone of 1,02,500 kilometres, which is recognised by the Guinness Book of Records. His children, one of whom is a doctor in the U.S., might have approached the Guinness Book authorities, he said. He will try to find out about it once he spoke to his son in Bengaluru, he said.
In Nanded, he will stay in the Sachkhand Gurudwara for a few days and continue his journey, he said. He carries a laptop computer and a smartphone with him and keeps in touch with his family members by email.
His cycling story is as interesting as he turning to the Sikh faith. Mahadev Reddy was what he was called at birth. Son of a landlord near Chikkatirupati in Kolar district, he left home after his father refused to send him to college.
“I caught a train and went to Anandpur Sahib in Punjab. I had no money and was at the Langar at the Gurudwara. Finally, I began working there and was attracted to the principles of the Gurus. I got converted and was renamed Amandeep Singh. I got married in Punjab too,” he said.
His children were educated in Bengaluru. He began cycling to speak against alcohol abuse after a relative died of addiction induced sickness. “I keep visiting schools along the way, and speak to students about how drinks can destroy families,” he said.
He says he will start a school in his village, if he wins any award for his feat.
