
Para-cyclist back in Assam after hurdles shorten route
2
Guwahati: Defying immense challenges, para-cyclist Rakesh Banik from
Assam
successfully completed an arduous 7,000 km transcontinental journey, before reaching Assam on Sunday. His expedition, which began in April from Russia, was initially planned for 9,000 km and was supposed to pass through Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tibet and Nepal, before entering India via Siliguri in West Bengal.
However, his route was significantly altered due to several hindrances.
Banik recounted that his journey faced a major hurdle when Chinese authorities rejected his visa application. "The Chinese authority denied my visa when I applied, and they also did not permit me to cycle through Tibet as well, due to diplomatic issues. Then after I took it to the embassy, they advised me to reroute my journey from Kazakhstan, towards Uzbekistan and then to Afghanistan.
If I had been coming through China, my journey would not have been completed," Banik said.
Upon entering Afghanistan, Banik faced a new set of challenges. "When I crossed the border immigration check post, I headed to Mazar-i-Sharif, which is about 130 kms away from the border. However, during my journey I was intercepted by the Taliban soldiers who asked me not to ride towards Kabul, as the road was very dangerous," Banik said.
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Following this, the Indian embassy in Kabul arranged a car for him, allowing him to travel another 340 km by road, passing through over 100 meticulously coordinated Taliban checkpoints.
Eventually, the embassy arranged flight tickets for him from Afghanistan, enabling him to fly to Nepal, from where he resumed his cycling journey.
Banik's resilience and tale of survival are truly remarkable. In 2012, he tragically lost his right leg in a devastating accident near Kaliabor in Assam's Nagaon district, yet he has continued to pursue such challenging feats, inspiring many.

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