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Pushkar Shah. Photo by Meg Dixit.
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Nepali Cyclist’s Personal Peace Mission Breaks in the Bay Area
By Meg Dixit
Special to AsianWeek
“The earth is one house, and we are all family who must live in this house with peace and love,” said the 34-year-old Nepali cyclist during a short Bay Area stop at an afternoon pot-luck party in San Leandro’s Marina Park Sept. 8.
“Despite all the religions that exist, we are all part of a global community,” explained the Nepalese missionary, who is now in the middle of his dream to bike approximately 390,000 kilometers around the world to spread his message of peace.
“There is only one sun and sky. Buddha doesn’t have one sun or sky for Buddhists; Christ doesn’t have his own sun and sky for Christians; Mohammed doesn’t have his own for Muslims either. We are all sharing the same one sun and sky,” continued the tanned cyclist, illustrating the message he has preached in 22 Asian, 14 Caribbean, 4 South American, 6 Central American and 2 North American countries.
Born and raised in Makaibari village in Dolakha, Nepal, Pushkar Shah lost his father, a Gurkah solider in the Indian army, during a terrorist attack by the Bodos rebels in Assam, India, in 1986, when Shah was only in the fifth grade. The incident served as the inspiration for Shah’s peace mission. “I joined many demonstrations, hunger strikes and protests, and many times I was jailed and tortured by the police,” he said.
This left him pondering why there was so much violence and hatred, and why the notion of peace seemed like a dream. He then decided to take the mission up on his own, and see the world as well. Shah set out on Nov. 29, 1998 for his 11-year voyage, which covers 150 countries.
Shah visits mosques, churches, temples and synagogues around the world to deliver messages about and actions for peace. He has brought his message to risky areas such as the India and Pakistan border, East Timor, Sri Lanka and Cambodia. In the United States, Shah has wheeled through 30 states including the Dakotas, the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida and Colorado.
“I was in New York when the terrorist attacks occurred, and I was overwhelmed by that incident,” he recalled shaking his head. Shah had visited the World Trade Center the day before and had taken pictures there.
“Most places of the world are not peaceful, although there are areas that are tranquil and calm,” he assured.
Ironically, his visits have not been too peaceful. Bandits in the Barbados robbed him at knifepoint, and thieves in New Zealand stole his bike and belongings. “These incidents were awful, but the New Zealand circumstance had a good outcome — I was able to meet Sir Edmond Hillary (the first hiker to reach Mount Everest), who assisted me in obtaining a new bike and other necessities for my journey,” he smiled.
But perhaps Shah’s biggest challenge in this sojourn is his day-to-day hope to receive funds for food from sponsors. He does not have an official sponsor for this mission. “I get small donations for food. I have my bike gear and tent. What I seek is shelter and food for a few days in the places I visit,” he said.
To stay in shape for his continuous adventure, Shah stretches every morning and makes sure to eat plenty of fruit.
With about 99 more countries left on his list, Shah’s peace mission is expected to end in 2009. Will he take time to rest after that? Not exactly. Shah plans to trek to Mount Everest and then write a book about his life experiences. Only after those accomplishments do his plans call for a nice, long break.
To learn more about Shah’s adventures or to drop him a line, visit www.thamel.com/puskar.
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