24-year-old from MP on solo trip to show India is safe for women

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Asha Malviya, a 24-year-old athlete and mountaineer from Madhya Pradesh, is on a mission to show the world that women are safe in India. Asha, who embarked on a solo trip on her bicycle on November 1, reached Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. She aims to cover 20,000 km to convey the message of women’s safety and empowerment to the world.

“Many people in foreign countries believe that India is unsafe for women. So far, I have covered 6,700km by travelling Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka. Kerala is the sixth state I am crossed and the response and experience I got from all the places till now are overwhelming,” says Asha, who will begin her journey to Tamil Nadu tomorrow. On Monday, she met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the transport minister and the governor.

Apart from an unpleasant experience she had in Kochi, the solo traveller said her journey in Kerala has been memorable. “When I tried to meet the Ernakulam collector, she refused. Though I waited, the collector left without giving me time,” says Asha, who embarked on this journey with the support of the Madhya Pradesh tourism department. The Madhya Pradesh government has given Asha the GPS-equipped hybrid cycle Rom-2 and cycle kit.  

Being a mountaineer, Asha has scaled Tenzing Khan (19,545 ft) and Bisi Rai (20,500 ft) on the Nepal-Bhutan-Bangladesh border and has been named in the National Book of Records and OMG Book of Records. Having lost her father at the age of three, Asha had to fight several odds in her life. 

“My solo journey will conclude in Delhi in August 2023 and I wish to meet our President and Prime Minster,” says Asha. After completing the trip, Asha is planning for a solo bicycle tour to another country.