Cycle yatra participants return

“The Cycle Yatra for Peace and awareness among people on cycling and walking for a healthy livelihood from New Delhi to Wagah was a memorable event,” said Active Bicyclers Association (ABA) members here on Friday. A 13 member team had participated in the 500 kilometer cycle yatra from New Delhi to Wagah organised by the students of Delhi University Association from January 1 to 9. About 130 active cyclers participated in the mega event. A 13 member team participated in that yatra from Andhra Pradesh and returned back to city on Friday.

The team went to New Delhi under the leadership of ABA founder and general secretary Vallabhaneni Satyanarayana. The team members include Ch Aishwarya, Ch Divya, Ch Pravallika, R Srinivasa Rao, G Padmaja, G Samar, A Chandra Sekhar, K Chandu, Ch Deleep, V Srinu and K Prasanth Kumar. After a successful completion of the Yatra, the AP team gathered at PB Siddhartha College and shared their experiences with 'The Hans India'.

Active Bicylers Association general secretary V Satyanarayana said that for the first time active bicylers had participated in the yatra. So many political leaders, professors, doctors, students and villagers welcomed the yatra with joy, he said. The yatra covered Panipat, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Kurukshetra, Chattisgarh, and Amritsar, he added. “The cycle yatra started at 9am every day morning and halted at any Gurudwar at 6pm,” said Satyanarayana.

“This association has been creating awareness among the people of the city on cycling and walking to save the city from pollution. The association decided that to give moral support to Delhi University students for their Yatra,” Satyanarayana says. Interestingly a mother and her children and two sisters also participated in the yatra. The cycling brothers G Amar and G Samar said that they love cycling very much and felt happy for the first time participating in New Delhi. From their childhood days, they were encouraged to cycle for better health and fitness, they said.

“We are very happy to have participated in the National Integration proramme along with Delhi University students. It is a matter of pride for the Telugu people,” said the 14-year-old Amar. He further said that his school management had given permission to go to Cycle Yatra though Half-yearly examinations were in progress. “I had participated in the cycle yatra for seven days and on the last day I fell down on the road, but I am very happy to have participated for the first time in the yatra,” said the ten-year-old Samar.