C’garh cop wants Bastar to get rid of conflict zone tag, takes up 6,000 kms peace journey on bicycle

42-year-old police constable Banshi Lal Netam from Bastar wants his place to get rid of the infamous "conflict zone" tag by spreading the message of peace.

New Delhi, March 7: Bastar in Chhattisgarh is infamous for the Maoist insurgency. Over the years, several lives, including that of the civilians and security personnel, have been lost in the bloody war. It is the people of Bastar, especially those in the tribal belts, who have been badly hit by the ongoing battle between the Maoists and the security personnel.

To take up the cause of the affected people of Bastar, who are waiting for peace and development in their area, a policeman has decided to travel to various parts of the country. 42-year-old police constable Banshi Lal Netam from Bastar wants his place to get rid of the infamous "conflict zone" tag by spreading the message of peace. To fulfil his dream, Netam has decided to embark on a 6,000 kms journey covering various states of the country on a bicycle. In doing so, he also hopes to register his name in the Guinness Book of Records.

On Monday, the policeman began his journey from Delhi's India Gate. Speaking to reporters he said that he wants to spread the message of peace and create a Guinness World Record with the bicycle ride.

"42-yr-old police constable Banshi Lal Netam from Bastar sets off on 6,000 km cycle ride along Golden Quadrilateral from Delhi's India Gate says I want to spread the message of peace and to create a Guinness World Record with this cycle ride. (05.03.2018)," tweeted ANI.

He is planning to finish his 6,000 kms bicycle journey within 20 days. As a part of his journey, Netam will be travelling to Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. He will wrap up his journey in Delhi.

To successfully complete the arduous journey, Netam has prepared for more than a year now. As a part of his preparation, Netam regularly used to travel at least 300 kms on his bicycle. He also took good care of his health by eating right and healthy food.

Talking about the idea behind the journey, Netam said that he wanted to meet people from different parts of India to tell them that Bastar is not only a conflict zone. "There is more to Bastar. For that, I have to travel. So, I decided to embark on a bicycle journey to different states of the country," he said.

One day the policeman wants to open a sports and adventure club in Bastar for children. "I want to open a sports club in Bastar where children will be able to learn about cycling, mountaineering, para mountaineering and horse riding. I want to help the children of Bastar," Netam said.

OneIndia News