THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a relationship with RE bullet, reads Praveena Vasanth’s facebook profile. She has a calloused palm, just like any seasoned rider, but the 27-year-old says more than body, your mind should be involved in riding.
“I was going through a very difficult phase in my life, a time when people usually fall for drinks and drugs. I took riding and it’s almost three years now,” says the lady rider who is on a trip to cover 29 states from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.
Praveena, hailing from Kozhikode and currently based in Chandigarh, also considers her trip as an opportunity to meet people and spread awareness against acid attacks. “I know a couple of people who were subjected to acid attacks. Even last week I came across a news where the victim was a man,” she says. While covering various states she visits the home of war martyrs on her way. “It’s my humble way to pay tribute to those heroes.”
Praveena adds she has been engaged in a battle to fight cyber bullying for a while now. “I am a victim. There are many Malayalis who simply can’t accept a girl is taking solo trips and going places.
In North I never faced any such issues.” She says she has been through all forms of bullying from obscene messages to open threats. “Some people think calling women aunty and akka make them look cool.
In my case, they use Vasantham and Vasanthakumari to refer to me. I am the first lady rider from Kerala and I do things that they can only dream of. When they look at me they see a girl doing K2K, covering 30,000 plus kilometres in 37 days and riding despite getting injured.
I have so many followers on facebook and at times they consider abusing me as the only way to get some attention.” She adds it’s not easy to stop them. “They say if the law can do nothing to a rapist and killer like Govindachamy what’s the point in complaining with a screen shot as proof.”
There were glitches, mishaps and injuries, but the spirited rider is not ready to tag her passion as difficult or dangerous. “Usually I am very careful and take all the precautions. I find Gujarat and Himachel Pradesh very safe, you get really positive vibes there that you can keep riding for long hours,” says Praveena before taking off on her next trip, this time cutting through North East, Nepal and Bhutan.