Pedalling for future: 74-year-old cycles from Kashmir to Kanniyakumari

After crossing 200 districts and cities between Kashmir and Kanniyakumari, Professor Kiran Seth, entered the last leg of his solo expedition

As the frail-looking old man enters here from Kovilpatti in his gearless cycle without shock absorbers and disc brakes around 11.30 a.m. on Thursday, he was received at Shankar Nagar on the city outskirts by just one person in another bicycle. There were no shawls, no garlands, no crackers, no banners to receive this man.

The starting point of this man’s solo expedition is not near Kovilpatti, but Kashmir about 4,000 km away from Tirunelveli. After crossing 200 districts and cities between Kashmir and Kanniyakumari, Professor Kiran Seth, formerly Professor of Mechanical Engineering, IIT-Delhi, and Padma Shri Awardee, entered the last leg of his solo expedition.

The objective behind this 5,000-km-long cycle expedition of the 74-year-old Prof. Kiran Seth, founder of the non-profit organization Spic Macay, is very simple: ‘I want to spread Mahatma Gandhi’s message of simple living and high thinking to the younger generation’. His ₹7,000-worth Stryder Harris bicycle carries just three sets of clothes and a 750 ml water bottle and nothing more.

Before starting on the expedition on August 15 last year, Prof. Kiran, who loves Mahatma Gandhi, took the 2,200-km expedition from Raj Ghat in Delhi to Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat to seek Gandhi’s blessings. Though Naturam Godse, who assassinated Gandhi, is being glorified by a section of society in recent days, Prof. Kiran says: “We should accept people with diverse ideas… There is even a temple for Ravana in Himachal Pradesh. So, we should learn to accept people having different ideas. Peaceful coexistence of people with different ideologies, cultures etc. is the most beautiful thing. Give up the artificial living as such superficial things will create nothing positive.”

Hence, his pan-India cycle expedition also focuses on celebrating India’s composite heritage and culture, yoga, to promote cycling for good health and unpolluted environment. He has so far met the people, mostly school children in 5,000 places ever since he founded his SPIC Macay organization, spreading message for protecting ancient art forms and culture.

He pedals for about 55 to 60 km between 8 a.m. and 12 noon every day without any food or drink en route even though the temperature has started soaring. Even though he has crossed 14 States and two Union Territories, Prof. Kiran is tireless and enthusiastic. “Yoga is the secret of my energy and enthusiasm even at this age,” he says.

“For me, cycling is not an exercise… It’s meditation, which gives me immense power,” says Prof. Kiran, who has planned to reach Kanniyakumari on February 19 (Sunday) around 11 a.m.