E-Paper
Cycling for promotion of equality, fraternity
GLOBETROTTING MIGHT be his next venture. But as of now, Balraj Siddhu is on mission 'Kashmir to Kanyakumari.' Quite an ordinary looking man, Balraj has dared to accomplish the extraordinary mission with his most reliable companion, his bicycle.
GLOBETROTTING MIGHT be his next venture. But as of now, Balraj Siddhu is on mission 'Kashmir to Kanyakumari.'
Quite an ordinary looking man, Balraj has dared to accomplish the extraordinary mission with his most reliable companion, his bicycle.
He has till now covered thousands of miles on his bicycle with the sole objective of spreading the message of equality and fraternity among the people. He was in the city recently on his way to Kanpur.
Originally belonging to Chohal village in Hoshiarpur district in Punjab, Balraj started on the mission 'extraordinary' in August 2003. "By the grace of Almighty, I am quite a satisfied person. But the dissatisfaction shown by people on trivial matters used to irk me and I felt the need to approach them. Thus I started with my endless journey on a bicycle", he said.
Balraj always makes it a point to meet school children and the teachers of the villages and cities where he stops on his way.
"I usually lay stress on the education of girl child.
I feel, this is the need of the hour as girls contribute towards the progress of the family," he said.
Surprisingly, Balraj didn't start alone.
He was accompanied by a lad of his own village but unfortunately he left Balraj in the middle. "He was not able to face the scorching heat of Rajasthan where we had to confront the hot dry winds. However, I have no problem continuing alone," he said.
Till now, he has travelled to Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. He carries his entire bag and baggage on his bicycle.
"Sant Ravidas is my inspiration. The saint didn't deter from the path of righteousness although he had to stay in dire conditions," he said.
What is the next on the cards? "Assam", he said. "
I plan to move to my village and stay there for at least two months. Afterwards I will travel to Assam and other regions of North East," he added.
