-Dimpal Pathak, NET Bureau

“Baba, give Maina a ride ” that’s so far I can remember what my mom told my brother.

It was a brand new bicycle that Dada had got and he gave me to ride it, even though I did not have the requisite riding skills. I was fortunate enough though to have made it without a fall or a scratch.

Cycling has been an integral part of his entire childhood and since Class VIII, I have seen him riding all the way to school and this made me jealous of him. I was not allowed to ride one to the school.

I got my own bicycle when Dada gifted me his old cycle when he reached Class VIII. Even though it was an old one, but for me, it was like the diamond that I had been always searching for.

It was the bicycle on which I went for the first ride of my life and now it was mine! I was the happiest person ever.

It was a dark blue bicycle and the maker’s name was written in bold and clear letters on it.

Even though I was lucky enough to have not fallen down the first time I rode a bicycle, however, lady luck was never on my side. After I got my personal cycle, I did fall several times- sometimes hurting my knee sometimes my chin. However, the bruises were the bruises of happiness.

And as time went by, I began to have more control and gradually I could ride confidently and most importantly- I stopped falling down.

I was in Class X when I got a brand new bicycle and I rode it to my tuition and dance classes. Cycling gives me a kind of happiness that I can’t explain in words. It is one of the most beautiful and wonderful experiences I have ever had in my life so far.

I moved out of my native place for my higher studies but cycling never left me. I studied in Delhi and there the government and university authorities provided cycles to the students. Every evening I went for a ride and it made me extremely happy.

Irish Murdock, in his famous 1965 novel The Red And The Green says, “The bicycle is the most civilized conveyance. Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in heart.”

The above line is pure and extremely true and I too feel the same- only the bicycle remains pure in heart.

Today is June 3, and every year the day is celebrated as World Bicycle Day acknowledging the individuality, durability, and versatility of the bicycle.

The Day is the result of Leszek Sibilski’s campaign and the support of Turkmenistan and 56 other countries for World Bicycle Day according to the UN.

Apart from being one of the cheapest modes of transportation, a bicycle also helps in building the strength of a person and heal naturally.

Moreover, a bicycle also doesn’t cause any noise, air or any other kinds of pollution.

If you are yet to inculcate the habit of bicycling, then don’t wait for long. Go and buy a bicycle immediately and ride your way into the world of happiness and health.

(The author is pursuing her post-graduation in Mass Communication and Journalism from Tezpur University)