Bhubaneswar, June 21: Former mediaperson and corporate communication expert Rakesh Kumar Singh, 40, is on a mission to make people aware about gender equality and peace.
And giving him company is his cycle on which he is going around places for this noble mission.
Already cycled around 7,600 kilometres starting from Chennai and covering several southern states in past 15 months, Singh is at present spreading awareness about saving girl child and persuading families to make their homes a 'no-violence zone'.
He entered Odisha on May 10 and has already visited over 50 villages in Ganjam, Nayagarh, Khurda and Puri districts.
During his tour he held discussions with people in rural areas and met students in schools, colleges and universities and spoke about gender issues.
Before he leaves the state in the first week of July for Chhattisgarh, he said he would visit a few more districts and try to spread awareness. "I even stop by theatres and cinemas. After the shows are over, I talk to the people and seek their opinion. They discuss with me about the situations here and give their suggestions," said Singh.
"If the people I am meeting try to follow my suggestions, I would consider it a great success," said the father to an 11-year-old girl.
Born in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, Singh graduated from Delhi University and did his postgraduate diploma in mass communication and journalism from Kurukshetra University.
He was a media and urban researcher with the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) in Delhi and then worked as corporate communication expert for a few companies before taking up this cycle expedition.
In the early 2013, he met around 20 acid attack victims between the age group of 18 and 40 years in Delhi. This meeting changed him completely and he took up this mission. He said after talking to these girls, he realised that no form of violence was as harmful as acid attacks.
"Family gives us certain ideas about gender, which is later influenced by the society. If we can inculcate good values at family level, it will help in the long run," he said.
He also tries to win over villagers through puppet dance, films shows using a projector and exhibiting photos, drawing sketches and paintings. He has already visited Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puduchery, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Despite facing difficulties in getting monetary support and adjusting to food habits as he tours different regions, he plans to cover the entire country by March 2017.
