Cycle Yatra against the Culture of Greed
Pedalling all the way to Kashmir from Kerala
Reduce Carbon Footprint through an Alternative lifestyle
The cycle journey which was flagged off from Bodhi Centre, Alathur, Palakkad district of Kerala on July 9, 2023 reached Sevagram on July 24, 2023 afternoon. The final destination is Srinagar. They ride more than 100 kms per day. It took almost fifteen days to reach Sevagram .The slogans of the cycle ride clearly depicts the very purpose of the journey: Lesser Carbon …Greener the world, Cycle to Work, Save India. The moving spirit of the cycle journey is Shri Abdul Nazeer from Kerala an air force veteran currently working in the State Bank of India as a Deputy Manager. He is accompanied by Shri Muralidharan from Bodhi Alathur, a craftsman who makes beautiful ornaments and other products from coconut shells. They are pedaling from Kerala to Kashmir with a unique mission, that is, creating awareness and necessity of reducing carbon footprint. Using cycle as a tool this time they want to save India from an ecological disaster. They want the world to remain ever green. Fascinated and influenced by their move, a young boy aged 22, a Kerala martial art trainer (kalari) joined along with them from Bangalore. On their arrival at Sevagram Ashram they were honoured at a programme held at the Seminar hall of Library and Research Centre for Gandhian Studies of Sevagram Ashram Pratishthan . Shri Sunny Paikada, Convener of Gandhian Collective, Kerala introduced the cyclists.
Shri Sunny Paikada introducing the Cyclists
Dr.Siby K. Joseph Director of the Research Centre welcomed them in the traditional manner by garlanding them with Khadi . He said their mission is to create awareness about a green future which is laudable and everyone should contribute towards it.
The cycle riders shared their experiences Addressing the audience assembled at the seminar hall Shri Abdul Nazeer said their mission is in tune with ideas propgated by Mahatma Gandhi. He talked about voluntary reduction of wants which represents the economy of greed . The climate change is causing great harm to the entire species on a global scale. There is an urgent need to develop an alternative lifestyle to limit their needs as much as possible. The message pf minimalization of resources is being propagated through this bicycle journey. Human beings are ruthlessly exploiting the resources of our planet. We could enjoy the resources of mother earth because our forefathers made their own contributions to protect it. We feel that now it's our turn to think and contribute to keep this planet as green as ever so that the generations to come could also live in this world. Everyone can use cycle as means of conveyance wherever possible. We should use motor vehicles only when it is absolutely necessary and contribute towards a greener India and greener world. So we have to move from excessive to the bare minimum. Minimalization was a keyidea propagated by Gandhiji. He concluded by stating “Be simple, be regular, be happy and be the change”
Reception infront of Sevagram Ashram
Cyclists infront of Bapu Kuti Sevagram Ashram
Prominent Malayalam writer Shri Madhavan Puracheri, extended warm greetings to them and congratulated them for undertaking this mission. They joined the members of the orientation programme and visited the historic places in Wardha. They left Sevagram Ashram premises on 26 July early morning .
Three pals pedal from Kerala to Kashmir for green footprint
Ujwal Bommakanti / TNN / Updated: Jul 23, 2023
Ujwal Bommakanti / TNN / Updated: Jul 23, 2023
(From L) Abdul Nazeer, Naveen and Muralidharan aim to complete their journey in another 25 days
HYDERABAD: In a bid to spread awareness about reducing carbon footprint, Abdul Nazeer (55), an Indian Air Force veteran-turned-banker, his friends - Muralidharan (48) and a 22-year-old martial artist Naveen are pedalling their cycles all the way to Kashmir from Kerala. Braving the heavy rains, the trio reached Hyderabad crossing the 1,000 km mark on Wednesday.
Speaking to TOI, Abdul Nazeer explains that the plan to make the trip from Alathur in Palakkad district to Srinagar came to his mind four years ago after he had adopted cycling as his primary mode of transportation. After much planning, it could not be realized owing to Covid pandemic. "This year, we decided to do it and began training by making 100-150 km trips within Kerala on weekends. Eventually, our journey started on July 9,"Nazeer explained. The three friends met at Bodhi alathur Yoga Centre in Kerala and shared the vision. "I've studied M.Sc Psychology and one thing I've learned is that if people can adopt a need-based approach in life and prefer cycling instead of motor vehicles, it doesn't just help reduce carbon pollution but also mental pollution byreducing stress," Nazeer added.
During their 1,003-km journey,
they covered Mettur, Krishnagiri, Bengaluru, Chikballapur, Anantapur,
Kurnool,Mahbubnagar and Hyderabad. They would further make their way to Medak
from the city and cover Nizamabadand Adilabad before making their way to
Maharashtra via Hinganghat. On average, they are covering a distance of 100 km
per day and aim to complete their journey in another 25 days.
Naveen, a B.Sc computer science graduate, chose a different career path to follow his passion for learning andmastering Kerala's indigenous martial art Kalaripayattu, which is also the world's oldest martial art. "After this trip,I am planning to set up a training centre in Bengaluru. So far, this trip has been fascinating. We received a lot of support from the locals across the three states," Naveen said.
Allthe.best team Congratulations happy journey
ReplyDeleteGood initiative
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