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Hitting the road on his cycle for senior citizens
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Tharmalingam Prathapan: Cycling for a cause. Pic by N. Lohathayalan
A 38-year-old man from Vavuniya has set out on a cycle tour covering a distance of 1,515 kilometres with the aim of raising awareness about the plight of senior citizens in the country.
Tharmalingam Prathapan, a teacher and artist began his initial lap of the journey last Saturday to Jaffna via Kilionochchi from the Kandaswamy temple in Vavuniya. Before he set off, Mr. Prathapan told the media he was appealing to President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to look into the welfare of senior citizens and to start a pension scheme for all those above 60 years so that they would not have to depend on others.
From Jaffna he proceeded through Mannar, Negombo, Colombo, Galle, Hambantota, Wellawaya and would be reaching Batticaloa today. Tomorrow he would be heading to Trincomalee via Pothuvil Road. He is expected to conclude his cycle tour on Tuesday after heading to Vavuniya via Mullaitivu, Paranthan and finally Kilinochchi.
Mr. Prathapan has been involved in many civil awareness programmes in the past.