– The Union Minister for HRD, Arjun Singh described Bhim Singh as one of the greatest adventurous in the world who became the first person to cross Sahara Desert on Motorcycle during his world trip. Arjun Singh was addressing distinguished gathering at the Auditorium of India International Centre this evening after releasing Bhim Singh’s book, “Peace Mission, Around the World on Motorcycle”. Shri Arjun Singh wished that Bhim Singh gets into a position from where he may implement his policies and programmes for the benefit of the new generation.
A brief but exciting function was presided by Dr. Amitabh Matoo, the Former Vice Chancellor, University of Jammu who compared Bhim Singh to the Latin American Revolutionary, Che Guevara who was responsible for the success of Cuban Revolution. Dr. Mattoo made a strong appeal to the Indian Libraries and Educational Institutions to prescribe Bhim Singh’s book on his travels in the curriculum because the youth of this country has every opportunity to learn from the experiments and adventures of Prof. Bhim Singh’s motorcycle globetrotting.
Ambassador, G.J. Malik who met Bhim Singh while he was Indian Ambassador in Chile described Bhim Singh’s travels as a great source of inspiration not only to the youth of the country but the youth of the world in general and members of diplomatic corps in particular. He narrated interesting incidents how he caught Bhim Singh, the globetrotter in a street of Chile when Allende was the President of that country. Mr. Allende had personally received the Indian globetrotter.
Subhash Goyal narrated the tragedy of Bhim Singh’s expulsion from J&K and his accidental meeting with him at Railway Platform. Mr. Subhash Goyal also narrated interesting story how he and his friends of Delhi University bade him goodbye at Teen Murti when he left India in 1967. Goyal was the President of Delhi University Students Union.
Harcharan Singh Josh who succeeded. Goyal as President of Delhi University in 1967 and presently Member of the National Minorities Commission described Bhim Singh as a unique personality who combines in him passion for peace and strength of a rebellion. He cited several examples when Bhim Singh managed to invite Palestinian Hero, Yasir Arafat to Parliament House where Arafat was decorated with World Peace Award by the Indian Council of World Affairs under the Presidentship of Josh. He praised Arjun Singh for standing with the suffering youth at all times.
The audience included, advocates, university teachers, former ministers, parliamentarians, artists, youth and student leaders. Sanjoy Sachdev, President Delhi Pradesh National Panthers Party presented flower bouquet to Arjun Singh whereas Mrs. Nasreen Hamid, a noted journalist presented bouquet to Amitabh Mattoo.
The audience gave standing ovation to Prof. Bhim Singh on creating a world record by traveling around the world on motorcycle covering nearly 140 countries of the world and becoming first person to cross Sahara Desert on Motorcycle in 1971.