Bicycle expedition in the NE

GUWAHATI: To support educational and street children programmes of the North East region and promote its natural beauty to the world, German-based Childaid Network has organised a bicycle expedition in the area from October 15.

Childaid Network founder Martin Kasper told reporters here on Thursday that five German students in collaboration with the Don Bosco Society would set out on their expedition from here to Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Manipur to create awareness about deprived children.

The five, most of them majoring in social work, would traverse 2500-km till December 7 to create interest for the NE region by daily posting videos and photographs of its andscapes and rich culture in the internet, Kasper said.

To querries about Childaid selecting the region for this adventure, he said, "the Northeast is a very special area of the world and India, for its beauty and culture, but is secluded and not very accesible. Very few people have the luxury of these beauties."

Don Bosco Institute executive director Father V M Thomas said the support of the respective state governments would be sought for their security.

''Their expedition will remove the stereo-type image of the North East that its violence ridden. This place is safe is the message we want to give and hope it will remove prejudices and misconceptions,'' he said.