.A group of five university students from the Ruhr region of western Germany has set out on an unique cycle expedition throughout the North-east India from 13 October. The KarmaRiders, as they call themselves, hope to be harbingers of peace and hope at a time when a part of Assam is reeling under the pain of ethnic violence.
The Don Bosco Institute (DBI), North-east, in collaboration with the Childaid Network of Germany is organizing the bicycle expedition through Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Manipur.
The five German youth arrived in Guwahati, 11 October — M Schppen, K Meyyer, C Dominik, O Schrenk and M Baucer— are of the age group of 25 to 30 and are experienced in social and youth work. They also participated at the press meet at the Guwahati Press Club, 12 October.
“The other objective of the programme is to support various programmes for street children of this region as well as build bridges and remove the stereotype of the North-east as a land of insurgency and conflicts,” said Fr V.M. Thomas, executive director of the DBI, addressing the press.
Fr Thomas informed that, “the expedition will start from Guwahati on 13th October and will culminate in Imphal on 6th December, covering at least 2,500 km across the north-eastern States.”
“A 60-km cycle tour across Guwahati city is scheduled on October 19 involving about one thousand cyclists including students from various educational institutions,” he added.
The tour across Guwahati will be flagged off at Latasil Field at 7 am and will culminate at Nehru Stadium.
