Correspondent
KOHIMA, OCTOBER 18
TWO young Nagas, Sievituo Solo and Ruokuo Kire are riding their bicycles cross-country beyond the mountains of Nagaland to New Delhi, via Bhutan and Nepal, campaigning for a green and healthy environment under the banner ‘Re-Cycling for Greener Environment’.
Flagging off the expedition from Life Pro Café, Kohima early Friday morning, parliamentary secretary for Law & Justice, Dr. Neikesalie (Nicky) Kire lauded the young cyclists for choosing an ideal mission to propagate protection and maintenance of a healthy environment. He said that a clean as well as a green and fresh atmosphere is very important for all forms of life and expressed pride that Sievituo and Ruokuo will be creating awareness on this theme. While wishing the cyclist duo a safe trip, Kire called upon them to encourage and inspire others by sharing their message and experiences not just with the people of Nagaland but also with those from different states and countries.
The young cyclists will be pedalling a distance of about 3000 kms within 45 days and they are likely to flag-in their expedition at New Delhi on November 26. They are equipped with two ultra-light backpacks each, with basic requirements. Their TREK 3900Ds have a flagpole each, flying miniature versions of the national flags of India, Bhutan and Nepal along with their expedition logo. Their major pit-stops will be Guwahati (Expected Day of Arrival- October 22), Thimpu (EDA- October 29), Kathmandu (EDA- November 11), Agra (EDA- November 24) and Delhi (EDA- November 26).
Before setting off on their mission on Friday, Sievituo talked briefly about the driving factors of the cycle expedition. He said that parallel to promoting cycling for health, they want people to realize that it is eco-friendly and use this to create awareness on environmental issues.
He said that they are merging their dreams through this expedition- cycling for a healthier life and for a healthier environment while at the same time fulfilling their spirit of adventure.
He mentioned that many people suggested them to plant trees along their journey, coordinating with their theme. However, in a broader sense, we believe that “green” could mean refreshing environment, zero pollution, a healthier regime, longevity of life, cleaner compound, free from fats and obesity and many more, and cycling is the answer to all these, the young cyclist said. He asserted that they want to “plant good seeds” about the benefits of cycling in peoples' hearts.
Meanwhile, the cyclists acknowledged the support and contributions from family, friends and well wishers, making a special mention to the government of Nagaland under the patronage of the Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio and Commissioner & Special Secretary to C.M, Abei-o Kire for sponsoring the cycles and necessary gears for the expedition; Richard Belho for mentoring them and Nagaland Adventure Club and Nagaland Association for Motor Sports & Adventure (NAMSA) for partnering in the event.
After the flagging off, few young cycling enthusiasts from Kohima displayed their support for the expedition and accompanied Ruokuo and Sievituo to a certain distance en-route to Dimapur. It was learnt that on Saturday, some members of the Nagaland Cycling Association will be riding their bicycles with the duo and see them off from Dimapur at 6 am.
‘Re-Cycling for Greener Environment’ is the second cycling expedition of the duo. Their first was ‘Discover Nagaland on a Bicycle’ in 2011, where they rode their bicycles across the 11 districts of the state covering a distance of about 1400 kms in 31 days.
