Cyclists pedal from Kerala against female foeticide

Jalandhar, February 26

Two men from Kerala, Arun (23) and Abhay (24), who are on a cycle expedition from Kerala to Kashmir to spread awareness against female foeticide, halted on the way in the city on Saturday.

We both felt female foeticide is still prevalent in the country and we need to raise our voice. We put a message on the issue in front of our bicycles and set out on journey on Jan 1. — Arun, Cyclist

Father Thomas KJ said both the youth are seminarians taking training from an institute near Thiruvananthapuram. “They stayed at the church here at night and will be moving ahead to cover the remaining trip”, he said.

Arun said, “We both felt female foeticide is still prevalent in the country and we need to raise our voice on the issue. We put a message on the issue in front of our bicycles and set out on journey on January 1. We are carrying our own foldable tents, blankets, clothes and toiletries. We are using accommodations such as temples, gurdwaras and churches, wherever available. Alternatively, we have taken out our tents and pegged them wherever we found space.”

They said, “On the way, we halted at several locations, including Mumbai and Delhi, and spread across the message against female foeticide by communicating with people, especially in rural areas.”