B. Ravikiran, a cycling enthusiast, undertook a cycle ride to spread awareness about organic farming across Telangana, between January 15 and January 26. He covered a distance of 1,000 km in these 12 days.
I used to ride the bicycle to create awareness among people on various issues. In the past, I have undertaken bicycle rides to thank the army and the traffic police for their selfless service to the nation. I started a ride to support farmers on January 15 and completed it on 26 January, 2016. The ride was flagged off in the presence of Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Agriculture Minister of Telangana.
As part of the ride, my friend and I visited hundreds of villages and met thousands of farmers. It was an incredible experience. Through the ride, I wanted to provide moral support to farmers. I wanted to create awareness about government schemes among them and inform them about reducing costs through natural and organic techniques.
Day 1
On the first day, we began our journey with overwhelming response and unlimited support. Soon after the flag off, we headed towards my home town of Nizamabad, via Ranga Reddy and Medak districts. We interacted with people on the way in Medchal, Chegunta and other villages. My friends and relatives welcomed us in Ramayampet. We still had many more miles to go.
Day 2
On the second day, we had more enthusiasm and were full of energy. We rode together with the farmers of Domakonda and Rameswarapalli. It was such a proud feeling to be by their side.
Day 3
In the evening, we reached Nirmal in Adilabad. On the way, we interacted with the people of Ankapur and a few villages nearby. Ankapur’s farmers are well-known for their best farming techniques. They are urging the government to identify drought-hit farmers instead of drought-hit areas. We hope the government will soon address this problem.
Day 4
It was great to meet a few important people on our way from Nirmal to Metpally. Praveen and Manmohan Reddy educated us on the benefits of organic farming. Did you know organic farming requires less capital as it uses only natural fertilizer like manure? There is also more urban demand for organic products and the farmers can decide the price for the products.
Day 5
There was overwhelming response from the people of Karminagar district. I felt the farmers here use modern farming techniques and also have good knowledge about organic farming. They were also very hospitable. We conducted several meetings with the agriculture officials and farmers of Korutla, Metla Chittapur and Vellulla villages. We also discussed the importance of organic farming.
Day 6
We met Bhumesh, an organic farmer from Karimnagar, who is making good profit. Right from the preparation of seeds to final production, everything is done organically. Bhumesh said his children help him out in modern farming. We also had a few awareness meetings with students about organic and modern agriculture techniques.
Day 7
We reached halfway on this day. We reached Thorrur in Warangal, as part of the 12-day ride for farmers. A farmer offered us corn from his organic farm.
Day 8
Reached Khammam. Here, too, we interacted with farmers.
Day 9
I feel privileged to interact with the wonderful people of Nalgonda. Thanks a lot to Ganduri Pravalika Prakash, Municipal Chairperson, who supported us. We were also well taken care of by Sridhar Gundeti.
Day 10
It was a long day for us. We rode almost 120 km between Nalgonda and Kalvakurthi. Otherwise, our day went well. We had a small talk with the farmers on the way. They spoke about their villages and farming in the region.
Day 11
We were excited to end our ride at Gajula Ramaram (near Bala Nagar) on 26, January, 2016.
Day 12
This was our final day of the ride for farmers. It was an incredible experience all along. We were honoured to meet amazing people in the villages. Every village welcomed us wholeheartedly and the people shared their farming experiences with us. As part of the ride, we worked closely with many agricultural officers and conducted awareness meetings about natural and organic farming. I would like to thank Balu Koduri for accompanying me on this ride.
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