Mohammed Basheer alias Bashi is in perfect sync with the world around until his first love comes by his side. For hours on end, together, they vroom around, announce to the world they are one and a life without one another is unlikely even in the wildest of their dreams. On this Saturday again, they ventured for one hell of a ride covering all 29 Indian states and two neighbouring countries — Nepal and Bhutan. His Royal Enfield Bullet is an extension virtually of his body and always a best companion for taking out a cross-country trip to spread the word on a most pertinent subject — to stop rape and discrimination against women. The bike aside, he is a lone rider. The 45-day tour was flagged off from Thiruvananthapuram.
If the social consciousness woke up only after the screeching tone of visceral brutalities against Soumya, Nirbhaya and Jisha, Bashi was out in the open, taking out the message in his hometown Kazhakkoottam in the capital much earlier. His riders club ‘Legend Rider’ and its members were with Bashi to carry forward his vision and mission.
“In small-sized headlines we might have found the atrocities unleashed by social outlaws against girls. Are tourist women spared? That was what I started with. Our nation is competent enough to be on par with world nations provided the social evils of corruption, abuse against women and terrorism are wiped out. Each time some incident of massive magnitude takes place, we wake up from sleep, do campaigns and then forget. It’s unfair to hoodwink others for the sake of doing something. My aim is to make a solid change with my abilities,” says Bashi.
While taking some time off for an interview, the 26-year-old’s finishing touches on his three-month-old brand new Bullet were still going on, marking the final leg of his months-long preparation. “Bullet clubs are active in almost all states and I got in touch with 27 states except Gujarat and Jammu & Kashmir. All who contacted me will arrange programmes in respective places and accompany me to rally a short distance to spread the word,” he elaborates the plans.
As per the blueprint laid out, Bashi’s first cross-country detour happens from Assam to Bhutan. The Bhutan trip culminates in Uttar Pradesh and then, he will proceed to Nepal. In Bhutan and Nepal, he plans to campaign ‘It takes a lot of courage to be a rider, but it takes more courage to be a gentleman. Real men don’t rape’, again with the association of riders clubs. He hopes his message would spread to a larger canvas via social media tools Facebook and WhatsApp.
All through his travel, Bashi wants to keep his expenses in check. He is so adamant not to take any paid stay en route and make the most out of his folded tent touring with him. Bashi, a sales-cum-rides coordinator in an exclusive exotic bike showroom Concept Bikes in Thiruvananthapuram, is taking out the trip only with the help of his friends and well-wishers. “Half the money for my journey was sponsored by my workplace, who have been so supportive of my decision. The rest was collected by my friends. Arranging safety gears to protective add-ons to my bike are all funded by them. Out-of-the-pocket expenses are little to be frank,” he says.
Such a long ride is a first for Bashi, a graduate in Aviation Aircraft Maintenance Engineering. The longest had been a Bangalore- Leh/Ladakh trip in an ‘Orkut Era’, as he calls. The bike-craze started with a second-hand Thunderbird in his college days is not gonna end anywhere here. A bigger plan is in the pipeline— a Bullet ride across 45 countries — next year.
