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Posted
on 01-Jun-01 04:40 AM
World peace activist pedals into Winona
By Jeff Dankert/Winona Daily News
On a global mission of peace and love, Pushkar Shah pedaled his bike out of Winona Wednesday. Prairie Island Campground served as a wayside for the 33-year-old Nepalese man's worldwide crusade, begun 21/2 years ago in Katmandu. His mission, supported by the kindness of others, will take another 81/2 years.
He is motivated partly by a life of political and social turmoil in Nepal. "Around the world there is many kinds of fighting - religious, atomic competition," he said. Violence, he says, has become too commonplace, and citizens need to make greater demands for harmony. "The earth is one house," he said. "We are the members of that house. We have to live with peace and love." His trip has enlightened many along the way, an encouraging sign that compassion can be achieved by individuals. Peace and love are honorable reasons to ride a bike around the world, but when Shah left his home, his wife and son in 1998, it was for something more personal.
"My past is very sad," he said. His father was killed in 1986 as soldier with the Indian Gurkha army. As a participant in Nepal's pro-democracy movement of 1990, Shah clashed with police, was shot in the hand and was jailed. "I'm also a victim of torture," he said. Government-led violence did not deter Shah, and over two months he was captured and beaten nine times. His ankle was broken with a bamboo stick.
But Shah and fellow activists' energies were not wasted. Democracy was restored, although Nepal remains one of the poorest countries in the world, heavily dependent on foreign aid. Shah and his ride gain media coverage almost everywhere he goes. Along with a journal, he keeps a notebook of newspaper and magazine clippings from places such as Pakistan, Honk Kong and Australia. While in Auckland, New Zealand, his bike was stolen Feb. 16. It was recovered by police but was damaged and his gear was missing. Sir Edmund Hillary - the famed Mount Everest climber - funded Shah's bike repair and bought him new gear, according to the March 15 New Zealand Herald.
Despite numerous difficulties, he is encouraged by people on the road, in some cases in war-torn areas such as Cambodia and East Timor. At its core, Shah's trek is not religious, and he adheres to no organized faith. But he said: "I believe in human religion. I believe in God." On April 15, he arrived in Vancouver, Canada, on a plane from Fiji, funded by supporters. His trip is maintained by a day-to-day influx of unsolicited support. Someone has arranged the next roof over his head in Indiana. Otherwise, he pitches his tent. Cycling was not his specialty when he left Nepal.
Shah first learned to ride when he was 21. He said his remote, mountainous village in the district of Dolakha is not bicycle country. "There is no place to ride a bicycle," he said. After arriving in Canada, he entered the United States earlier this month and cruised into Fargo, N.D. From there he pedaled east to Minneapolis before heading to Winona. He left Wednesday, headed toward Chicago and New York. "It's a huge country. It's the richest country. It is a beautiful country," he said. His optimism and motivation builds as he gains recognition and realizes people know of his country and are warm to his cause. "Many people do know about Nepal. I'm so happy. I'm doing something very special in my life for my country," Shah said.
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