SubscribeWith his right hand amputated below his elbow following an
accident as a child, Rakesh Gole, a Nepalese, struggled hard growing up
with his disability.
Born to a farmer's family of the Tamang tribe in the Nepalese
village of Makhwanpur under the Phaparbari district, Rakesh, now 40,
grew up working with his father in the field.
As a young man, Rakesh became a respectable farmer in the
Tamang community. His disability turned into a force that pushed him
into a visionary man. He decided to take up an arduous journey alone on
a specially designed motorbike touring the eight Saarc countries in a
bid to forge a 'unity among physically challenged persons'.
Using his left hand, Rakesh rode to Bangladesh on his
motorcycle, Hero Honda, which is donated by its manufacturer, five days
ago. He entered Bangladesh via India through the Banglabandha border.
With Nepalese flags on his bike and a slogan inscribed along number
plates, he was seen riding towards Dhaka past Bogra.
"My dream is to help physically challenged men, women and
children of this region unite against superstition and social
prejudices," said Rakesh in broken Hindi, sitting on his bike by the
highway.
Father of two children, a boy aged 12 and a girl aged 16,
Rakesh showed dozens of certificates from different organisations
wishing him good luck for his endeavour.
"I really like the way Bangladeshis welcomed me all along the
road. It is a great inspiration for all of us," he said, adding that he
would be heading for Sri Lanka from here within a month.
Rakesh's physical disability has made him extra careful while
riding his bike with his left hand. He rides slowly on his way and
takes frequent breaks to talk to people and disseminate the message he
has brought with him from the people of Nepal.
"We need unity to overcome any problems on our way to the end of the journey of our life," he said.
Source:
http://www.thedailystar.net
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