Mizoram man walks 1,200 km to spread awareness on various issues

Aizawl: A 64-year-old man from Mizoram on a state-wide mission to spread awareness about various issues ended his walkathon on Thursday, 40 days after walking over 1,200 km.

Lalbiakthanga, a resident of Lawipu on the south-western outskirt of Aizawl, reached his final destination- Sakawrdai village in the northeastern part of the state bordering Manipur on Thursday after traversing the length and breadth of the state on foot.

He covered 1,212 km in 40 days and visited at least 118 villages across all the 11 districts of the state during his month-long walkathon mission.

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Speaking with EastMojo, Lalbiakthanga said that he did not face any problems or health issues during his journey. “Except for a few occasions when I lost my way to my destination and felt tired after reaching my final destination on Thursday, I encountered no serious problems or health issues during my 40 day-long journeys,” he said.

On average, he covered 30.3 km in a single day, the farthest of which was 57 km.

On his arrival at Sakawrdai, the sexagenarian was accorded a warm welcome by leaders of the village council and the Young Mizo Association and was served dinner.

Given 75 years of India’s Independence, Lalbiakthanga began his first leg of the walkathon on February 9 from Vairengte town in north Mizoram’s Kolasib district on the state border with Assam.

His main objective was to spread awareness about national integrity, peace and harmony, the importance of organs donation, especially eyes, and protection of the environment and wildlife, among others. He visited Kolasib, Aizawl and Western Mamit district during his first leg.

He started his second leg on February 21 to traverse the eastern, northeastern and southern parts of the state, and central Mizoram’s Serchhip district.

In each village and town, the village or town authorities and community leaders arranged for him platforms from where he conveyed his message, according to him.

Lalbiakthanga, who is still a bachelor (unmarried) is an inmate of a housing complex for the urban poor constructed under the Centre’s sponsored scheme- Basic Services to the Urban Poor (BSUP) at Lawipu.

He left his Grade-IV government jobs in 1987 and now lives on wages.

He has a great passion for walkathons to spread awareness among the people.

In 1997, Lalbiakthanga had travelled to at least 50 rural villages and spread awareness about environmental and wildlife protection among students.

He again walked more than 200 km from Aizawl to Zokhawthar village on the Indo-Myanmar border to extend solidarity to the people of Myanmar in March last year.

He laid stress on organs donation.

The sexagenarian has already signed a bond with Aizawl civil hospital to donate his eyes when he dies.

He also wants to donate his kidneys and lungs.