The Sikh Charity bike ride has been running fro several years and has brought honour and fame to the Sikh community at a global level. The Sikh principals of struggling for others and helping others are shown in this noble event.
However this year (2008) the main highlights were the tragic death of a rider and the finishing at a mela.
A lot of the participants are saying that there should have been a marshall at the spot of the accident as it was a dangerous spot. (If not done already the route should be rehearsed and all danger spots should be marked)
A lot of participants were not happy with finishing in a mela. The melas are full of corrupt music, violence and sexual behavior. It was not a wise decision to finish a Sikh charity bike ride in such an atmosphere. Fights tend to break out and there are other considerable risks to be taken in account at melas. The bike ride always used to finish at a Gurdwara and a kirtan diwan used to be done (This is more positive and more sikhi is involved).
It is ironic that for the first time in history that it was not finished in a Gurdwara and look at what the highlights are.
Because of the long distance a lot of the Sangat feel due to safety reasons the age of participants should be increased from 14 to 16 or 18 as minimum.
Our prayers and heart goes out for the deceased and his family. I hope the organizers have learned from the mistakes made.
