Cycling his way through the country

HYDERABAD: One man, riding his bicycle through the country — with an aim to eradicate practices like dowry and female foeticide — this is Bhausaheb Bhawar’s fourth time around the country, ever since he started his tour in 1993. “I started my 4th tour in 2007 and things have changed a lot since I first started out 1993,” explains Bhawar, who hails from Jalna district near Aurangabad. Bhawar decided to give up on farming and go on a crusade against dowry when he saw the amount of problems his parents had to go through to get his sister married. “The groom’s family had demanded for a dowry of `5000, which was a lot of money back then,” he reveals, adding, “That is when it hit me that marriage seemed more like a business and I decided to do something about it.”  40-year-old Bhawar, who has not gone down the path of nuptial bliss, says that his plans are different from the conventional ones. He wants to create awareness and make a difference in the society. “Evil practices of dowry and female foeticide are common in North and South India — but whatever happens in the North comes out in the open and whatever happens down south remains mum in closed doors,” accuses Bhawar, who believes that women should come forward and do something about it because unless they put their foot down and respect themselves, the society will always try to put them down in some way or the other.“In a country where goddesses are ardently worshiped, female foetus is killed and bride’s families are demanded and tortured for dowry,” says a disappointed Bhawar, adding,  “I want to change that. I want people to  realise the value of women and respect them.”        And, that’s not all. Bhawar wants to extend his cycle journey to international borders as well. “I will travel to places like Burma, China to spread awareness about Aids and energy conservation,” says a humble Bhawar, who believes that convincing people abroad is a lot easier when compared to people in India. Ask him about his journey on a cycle and he promptly replies, “I chose a cycle because I wanted to make sure that I reach out to each and everyone in the country. Riding a cycle is not only fun, convenient and environment-friendly, but also ensures that I mingle with people because that is the most important aspect — to talk to people, create awareness and broaden their horizons,” says Bhawar in conclusion.