Mangaluru: As many as 3.2 lakh villages, 2,200 cities spread across 18 states and two international territories. This is how much a 23-year-old from Mangaluru rode on his bicycle with one motto: to promote cleanliness and usage of dustbins.With a basic bicycle, a tricolour, some clothes, a tent and just Rs 2,000 in his wallet, G Shravan Kumar from Gurupura set on his expedition from the NCR on May 5 and culminated his journey on November 4 at Kanyakumari pedalling through Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Sikkim, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Odisha, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. He also rode through areas in Nepal and Bhutan.“My mission was to promote usage of dustbins. Throughout my journey, I visited various outlets and hawkers and stressed on the importance of using dustbins. I personally monitored a few cases and ensured waste was dumped in the dustbin. Another mission is to promote unity and that’s why I have been using the tricolour on the bicycle,” Shravan told TOI.Shravan said the journey had been a mixed bag. While he cherishes some best moments in the picturesque Jammu and Kashmir, where a young boy sponsored him Kahwa tea, he also faced few untoward incidents where crackers were burst along his path. Shravan also cherishes the 14 days he spent in Punjab and Haryana with just Rs 60. The youngster also has an achievement to boast of: During his stint, he became the first Indian civilian to cycle from Pokhara to Muktinath in Nepal.MLA helps youthJust as Shravan’s bicycle got worn out in Lucknow and he got blanked about continuing his journey, it was Dr Y Bharath Shetty, MLA, Mangaluru North, who through his contacts in Uttar Pradesh got the youngster a new bicycle.“Shravan hails from my constituency. Moreover, he was campaigning was Swacch Bharath. When I learnt that he was struggling, I decided to do my bit and hence contacted my friends there and gifted him a bicycle,” Dr Shetty told TOI.Shravan, who has come a full cycle across India, now advocates for a few things. “I want Swachh Bharath campaign to be added in the school curriculum; Strict fine should be levied on those who litter; There should be a law mandating dustbins outside every shops; The government needs to build public toilets at every 5 km. I intend to reach out to the government through Ramakrishna Mission,” he said.EOM/November 22

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