A small incident school has made Dhandapani Loganathan from Vadakovai take up a cycling mission to spread the message of child abuse awareness.

“I particularly remember this incident very clearly. It is impossible for all the students in a class to be bright as another. That day we were given our answer sheets and many of us had scored very poor marks. The teacher made us stand in a line and started beating us. At one point, after beating the boys it was the turn of the girls to get the punishment. He did not beat them. Instead, he made them stand between his legs, the rest is very disturbing, even to narrate. I then couldn’t figure out what he was doing. But, a few years later I realised that he was actually harassing them,” Dhandapani recounts.

A software engineer, his mission is to create awareness about the growing instances of child abuse as this shook him.

He started his preparations for cycling last year and so far has gone to Salem, Erode and Ooty. Presently, Dhandapani is cycling his way to Bengaluru from Coimbatore, hoping to cover 700 km in 55 hours. He started by 2 an on June 16.

“I plan to be back here around this time on June 18. I rest after every 50 km and my friend Sathish is coming along in a bike with me. The people I meet on the way give me all the inspiration,” he says.