Cyclists light up Diwali with Khar-Bandra ride to push for green cause

MUMBAI: It was an unusual Diwali celebration. A clique of cyclists from the city pedalled in the suburbs, their bicycles all decked out with lights, exhibiting the festive spirit. Pedestrians and motorists watched as a clutch of bicycles snaked its way amid vehicular traffic heading from BMC’s H-west ward office at Khar, moving towards Bandra Bandstand.

As the cyclists trooped past vehicular traffic late Friday evening, shouting slogans ‘Cycle chala, city bacha’, passersby stopped and stared. Curious pedestrians and motorists enquired what was going on.

“It was our way of celebrating Diwali,” said Firoza Dadan, the first bicycle mayor of Mumbai, an avid cyclist. “Typically, the festival of lights is celebrated with firecrackers. No one thinks of an environmentally sustainable way of celebration. We wanted to give out the message that we can enjoy our festivals in an environment-friendly manner,” said Dadan whose NGO, Smart Commute Foundation, had taken up the initiative ‘Cycle Chala, City Bacha’.

The city’s dabbawalas (tiffin-carriers), who regularly use bicycles to deliver food, had also been invited to join the event. Mahadeo Pangare, who coordinates the tiffin distribution network around Bandra, said the bicycle is “Goddess Lakshmi” for the dabbawala community. “We use bicycles for our daily work of delivering tiffins… This Diwali cycle ride was our way of worshipping the Goddess and thanking her with this eco-friendly celebration,” he said.

The city’s current bicycle mayor, Dr Viswanathan Iyer, a neurosurgeon who cycles to his clinic and hospitals where he consults, also joined the Diwali cycle ride. “It was all about lights, some sweets with fellow cyclists from the city,” Dr Iyer said, pointing out that he got a feel of the din and congestion in the city as he waded through a sea of people and vehicles to cycle back home after the event.

His daughter, Palak, accompanied him to the cycling event. “It was fun,” is how Palak, an FYBA student of St Xavier’s College, Dhobitalao, described the experience. Initially, she was a bit reluctant to join as the event clashed with her Diwali celebration plan with friends. But she dropped that and chose to go pedalling instead.

While MLA Ashish Shelar has helped with bicycle parking stands from Bandra to Santacruz, Friday’s event was supported by assistant municipal commissioner Vinayak Vispute.

Melvin Rodrigues (33), bicycle councillor for K-east ward (Andheri), said cycling is a must in these times when air quality in the city is at its worst. “If we’re commuting within 5km range, we must consider using cycles instead of taking our cars or even two-wheelers,” he pointed out.

Rodrigues organises rides in and around his civic ward for fellow cyclists to explore unknown sides of the neighbourhood on cycle. He also arranges short rides for school and college students to introduce them to the joys of cycling, he said, adding, “Using the bicycle can do wonders to improve the air quality in our city.”