Staff Reporter
DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 26
THE bicycle is probably the best model for promoting recycling and re-greening the environment. Naga lads – Sievituo Solo (27 years) and Ruokuo Kire (28 years) did just that . The duo have been best friends since childhood nurturing a common dream to undertake an adventure on cycles when they were students at Kolkata. The germination of this desire could well be seated in the black smoke emitting from exhaust pipes of thousands of buses and taxis which criss cross the chaotic metro. They say they were motivated to undertake a journey one which would give back to nature.
The boys planned their trip for an entire year since they wanted to the trip to be not only fun but coupled with a cause for saving the environment.
Not everything was smooth. The worse to combat was pessimistic reactions initially from family and bureaucrats of the state. Sharing their experience to media person today at Saramati hotel Dimapur, they confessed that they were almost on the verge of giving up when they received negative feedback from all quarter. But they could were not going to be beaten because of few negative feedbacks. Family eventually came round with support and the intervention of Nagaland Adventure Club was all the kick start they needed.
They embarked on their journey from Kohima on 18th October with the route headed to Assam- Bhutan-West Bengal (WB)-Nepal-Uttar Pradesh (UP)-Haryana-Delhi and ended on 22nd November.
The duo covered around 3500 km-4000 km on their bicycle within 36 days.
Having covered other states of India and neighbouring countries, Solo acknowledged that their journey within India and Nepal was monotonous but on reaching Bhutan they experienced a totally different environment. As luck would have, on their journey in Bhutan they came across the Prime Minister of Bhutan who was kind and curious enough to know of their trip and extended his help to them. Not only did the kindness of the Minister surprised them but they were humbled by the responsible behaviour of the people. In contrast the duo also experienced some ugly moments on their trip. One of them being the time in UP where they found themselves cyling on a stretch lined with fecal deposit. Their curious enquiries only got them response from the locals who blamed the state of affairs on an ineffective government.
The boys admitted from this they learnt that the government cannot always be blamed but the public must also behave responsibly. “There should be a good relation between the government and the people”, says Solo.
Parliamentary Secretary for Law & Justice, Land Revenue and Labour & Employment, Dr. Nicky Kire one of the constant throughout the cycling adventure was also present at the press conference. He was clearly overjoyed to at the achievement of the boys who he said had proved that ‘nothing is impossible’.
The duo said they are indebted to all the wonderful and kind people whom they met along the way from Nagaland onwards who have showered them in cash and kind.
Having both lost their fathers to cancer, these young adventurous cyclists plans to go on another motorbike expedition within the 29 states in 29 days under the theme
‘Fight Cancer’ which will be in dedication to their father.
Other persons who were present for the press conference were members of Nagaland Cycling Association (NCA), Nagaland Adventurous Club (NAC) and Nagaland Adventure & Sports Association (NASA).
