11/02/2018
On January 1, 2008, the now 53-year-old Amandeep Singh Khalsa started his cycling expedition from Bangalore with an aim to create awareness on the ill effects of to***co and alcohol.
Five years later, he will be returning to Bangalore after having covered twenty five States and having addressed students of around 25,000 schools.
This Punjabi teacher from Gurudwara near Lalbagh in Bangalore has peddled nearly 1.7 lakh km, carrying a load of 60 kg. “I took six years’ leave from the gurudwara (where he was employed) for the expedition. I saw my maternal uncle die of alcohol addiction. I was also shocked to see young boys falling prey to habits like chewing gutka, to***co and smoking. I wanted to do my bit to sensitise them about its ill effects,” Mr. Amandeep, who was in Hubli on Sunday on his way back to Bangalore, told The Hindu .
Well versed in Kannada, English, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Punjabi, Amandeep this native of Amritsar in Punjab but now settled in Bangalore, made stopovers to address during his cycling expeditions for addressing students in schools and colleges. He also addressed people at temples and other places where he stayed overnight. The tech-savvy teacher carries a laptop with him and has an audio-visual presentation on the ill effects of bad habits, which he plays before students.
He carried a stove, provisions and utensils to prepare his meal. The five-year expedition cost him Rs. 80,000, during which he changed five bicycles. He says he feels happy when people call him up to say their family members have quit to***co or liquor.
It will take four-five days for Amandeep to reach Bangalore.
Although he never intended to create a record, his feat seems to have been recognised and he may find a place in the Guinness Book of Records for the longest cycle expedition. Amandeep Singh Khalsa started his cycling
