With a tricoloured message board carrying the slogan ‘Save Animals - Save Nature’ affixed to his bicycle, a backpack and a small camping tent mounted on the cycle pannier rack, a 31-year-old social activist from Mancherial, in north Telangana, who was moved by the deaths of animals due to rash driving on the national highways, pedalled 2,700 km on his bicycle to create awareness on the subject.
Having no fluency in Hindi was not a barrier for Padma Sandesh Gupta as people could easily connect with the cause he espoused.
His bicycle journey began on June 27 from his home in Mancherial to Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and he returned home on August 4, a record 38 days. The champion of this noble endeavour, who had pedalled such a long and arduous journey, had many encouraging encounters on his odyssey. Most of the interactions he had were with the truck drivers, taxi drivers and common public along the national highway at dhabas, petrol pumps and prominent towns and villages.
Speaking to The Hindu about his journey, Mr. Gupta said that people were concerned and appreciative of his effort. Some of the truck drivers also empathised with his cause and said blood spattering on the highways and flattering of the carcasses was an awful sight and urged the concerned authorities to clear the roads. “Not just authorities, even people can stop their vehicles, pick up the carcasses and place them aside. It would be great if they can spare some time to give the murdered animals a decent last rite by burning them in an open place along the highway,” the activist, who founded Friends Animal Trust Telangana, said.
During the 38-day marathon cycling, he would begin pedalling at 6 a.m. and end the day at 6 p.m., pedalling an average distance of 70 km a day. He would rest for the night at dhabas, temples and petrol pumps and continue his journey the next morning. Mr Gupta was accorded a grand welcome by Mancherial ACP Akhil Mahajan, and the former’s friends and family members as he returned home after a successful awareness campaign.
He is planning to take up another bicycle journey espousing the same cause to Rameshwaram in September.
Published - August 06, 2021 07:43 pm IST
