On cycle, Karnataka man fosters unity in country

Nagpur: Travelling thousands of kilometres on a bicycle is a tedious task, but for a person like Nagraj Gowda, it is a mission for he wants to foster unity, peace and patriotism among people of the country. Nagraj, who was in city on Wednesday, shared the experiences he had as he covered 7,000kms on cycle, meeting people of various states and conveying his message.
Physically fit at age 51, Nagraj, who hails from Hasan district in Karnataka, started his journey from Andheri (west) in Mumbai on December 3, 2017 and passed through Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
During the course of his journey, he took halts in villages and cities and told people the importance of saving water, gau raksha and rising above caste and religion so that the social fabric of the country is kept intact. He travelled around 80 to 100 kms daily.
Though he started with a paltry sum of Rs5,000, money was never a problem as he took breakfast, lunch and dinner in temples, gurdwaras and Arya community halls.
“It is my dream to get to the pulse of the country. My life took a turn when I attended a camp conducted by Dr SN Subba Rao in Bengaluru. I learnt about various social issues and decided to travel the country on a cycle as it is the best way to connect with people. I came to know about the problems people of different states faced. It was like an eye-opener,” Nagraj said.
He has put up a board on the backside of his cycle where pictures of leaders, politicians and actors around the world are displayed.
“I have met celebrities and politicians like Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, former CM Sheila Dikshit, Manoj Tiwari, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, former UP CM Kalyan Singh and MP CM Kamal Nath. They all appreciated my efforts to promote peace and unity,” he said.
After covering Maharashtra, he plans to return to his home and head towards southern states after the monsoon season is over as it is risky to ride a cycle during this period, he said.
(Reporting by Pushkar Singh)