Father rides 1,800 km to Manipal University; message ’Save Daughters, Educate Daughters’

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New Delhi, April 1, 2018: It’s his passion to ride whenever he came to meet his daughters who study at MAHE, Manipal but this time his 1,800 km treacherous journey ended with a message: Save Daughters, Educate Daughters.

Meet Sajal Sheth, 52, a share sub-broker by profession and an avid biker, who this time rode 1,800 km, from Cuttack in Odisha to Jaipur in Rajasthan, meet his younger daughter Niha Sheth. She is pursuing her first year B.Tech studies in Manipal University, Jaipur. In 2013, Sajal, rode about 3,865 km to meet his elder daughter who was studying physiotherapy at Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal has yet again done it.

“I was passion about biking, started it at the age of 15, but due to career and other commitments, could not ride much. However, the craze in me started when I was 47 and bought a bike. From then I used to ride across places including solo trips, visit to my daughter in Manipal, Karnataka. However, all this rides were done just like that with a cause. This time my wife suggested that I should spread some message during rides and I couldn’t think better than educate girl child,” he shares with STOI.

Inspired by Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Yojana (BBBP), implemented as the Union government’s social campaign to create awareness and improve the efficiency of welfare services intended for girls, Sajal set out to from Cuttack on March 28 and it took him three days to reach his destination. Riding 600kms every day, where he would take break after dusk, says that he did make impact on people he met on the way. “Whenever there was pit stops, people used to folk around me and ask what that flag on bike is all about. I would then explain them about girl education and its benefits,” he shares adding that he met two types of people. One of them were contended their daughter finishing UG studies is better enough, “Then I would stress them that his/her daughter needs to go for PG studies,” and second type of people I met insisted them that their daughter must go for post-doctoral studies.

Sajal has his own reason why educating daughter is a boon to a family. “One of my friend, an advocate, died in an accident and his wife had to take over his business after studying the same subject. In another incident, my friend, who was sole bread winner in the family met with a life threatening accident, which crippled entire family and his wife was not educated. Since she couldn’t earn for the family being illiterate, she was asked to leave and find her own way.

Whenever Sajal rides to unknown destinations, seeks advise from HV Kumar, from Bengaluru, called as Human GPS of India. “He guides to best roads to travel. Current journey was not easy from Agra to Jaipur, where used to take break for every 10kms due to soaring mercury level and keep myself hydrated,” he adds.

He will leave back to Cuttack on same bike on April 2.