Eco warrior: 49-year-old cycles 44 km to & from office in Kapurthala every day

Aparna Banerji

Jalandhar, May 1

“I feel light and it doesn’t cost a penny,” says Ashni, who is an avid listener to countless expert talks on reduction of carbon footprints. This closest eco-ideologue is making it happen with the simplest of steps.

Ashni Kumar, 49, has been riding a bicycle to his office at the Pushpa Gujral Science City every day for the past more than one year now. Every weekday, he cycles a whopping 44 km to and from his home at Lamma Pind Chowk to the Science City, Kapurthala. The one way distance from his home to office is 22 km.

A Deputy Manager (Public relations) at the Science City, Kapurthala, and a father of a 16-year-old, it was the profound idleness induced by the Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdown, which inspired him to start cycling.

Early morning, cycle trips to nearby spots became a passion when office finally started. He abandoned fad for the car and took a fervent commitment to humble bicycle, which is now Ashni’s trusted ride for his daily commute.

Not only this, Ashni totally walks the talk and drinks water from a quaint earthen pot he has kept at the office. His office doesn’t have an AC. His only home AC has not been used till now. He is also a strict vegetarian.

While Ashni cycled away in foggy, misty or drizzly winter mornings, he continues to follow the same routine as temperature has soared to 44° C.

Ashni Kumar says, “During the pandemic-induced lockdown, I felt idle at home. I started day cycling trips to DAV University, Doaba Chowk and Kishanpura Chowk among other places. It began with cycling eight to nine kilometres every day. But as the time passed, I started loving it more. When the office finally opened, I had no time left for the morning cycle commutes. So, I decided to start going to office on cycle. It’s been a year and I’m enjoying every moment of it.”

While Ashni finds himself sweating profusely by the time he reaches office, he has six changes of clothes neatly tucked at the workplace for weekdays. While all the weekdays are committed to cycling, a car is only used for a day on the weekend.

“Sundays are the only days I use car because I have to carry my ironed six changes of clothes to the office, which are used during the entire week. I cycle to office in shorts and change clothes at the office. Over the week, I bring the used clothes back home in my little bag kept at the back of the cycle, which I also use to carry my tiffin every day. With a daylong break from the exercise I go back to office all charged up on Monday,” says Ashni.

Isn’t the scorching summer heat & pollution a problem?

“I have cycled in the fog and will cycle in the summers too. I start between 7 am to 7.15 am and reach office by 8 am to 8.15 am. It isn’t hot that early in the morning. When you enter Kapurthala Chowk, the way forward is indeed polluted and has a load of traffic, but I have discovered alleys and backstreets that aren’t that crowded” says Ashni.

“Now, I am so used to it that if there are back to back holidays and I don’t cycle, I get body aches. It’s a part of my routine. It keeps me fresh, light and energetic,” Ashni adds.

The passion has rubbed off

“Earlier, I was ridiculed. There were new workmen, who mistook me for their colleague when they saw me coming to office on a cycle. But now, everyone knows me and it’s bringing a change. I use a local manufactured cycle as I find it best over the geared or fancy ones. Eventually, a few colleagues of mine had also started coming to office on cycles. But they couldn’t sustain the habit for this long,” says Ashni.

“There are many people, who talk about reducing carbon footprints and then get in an AC car to go back home. To protect ecology we have to change our lifestyle. Small steps might go a long way in this direction,” quips Ashni.