Mandadapu Padma is a cycling enthusiast. So when it was time to move to Amaravati, the new seat of the Andhra Pradesh government, she decided to pedal her way from Hyderabad – a distance of 270 km – rather than join her colleagues on a special bus.
Getting astride the bicycle at 7 a.m. on June 24, the 33-year old Assistant Commercial Tax Officer posted in Khammam made her way alone to Vijayawada in six days. The journey was meant to “inspire her colleagues who were coming to their new workplace with a lot of apprehension.”
The cycle yatra would also strengthen the bond between the two Telugu-speaking States, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. “I belong to Gampalagudem mandal in Krishna district but I was raised in Khammam. I have friends in both States. Regardless of the distance, people of AP and Telangana will always be friends,” she says.
Employees of various departments have been coming to the new capital in special buses over the past few days.
Why choose a bicycle for such a long ride? It was meant to demonstrate that both Hyderabad and Amaravati are safe for women to travel alone, says the officer.
Women can happily travel solo, Ms. Padma insists. “In fact, there were many Good Samaritans en route who offered food, water and even medical help. I was alone on the 80-km stretch between Choutuppal and Suryapet. The bad weather got to me on the third day and I started feeling giddy. But a Facebook friend who had been tracking my progress online came to my rescue,” she says.
There were many selfie moments on the trip, when the officer met a variety of people. These were posted on social media.
Some of the motivation for her project came from Swami Vivekananda’s speeches. “His words are a constant source of inspiration,” she says.
When Ms. Padma arrived at the temporary R & B Department office opened by Minister Sidda Raghava Rao at Ibrahimpatnam on Wednesday, he was there to felicitate her along with Irrigation Minister Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao.
