Somen Debnath (born 8 May 1983) is an Indian activist for

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...

AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...

awareness. He is currently travelling around the world on

bicycle A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-powered assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist. Bic ...

with the purpose to promote a program entitled "Around the World on Bicycle Tour for

Awareness and Seminars on

Indian Culture Indian culture is the heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, belief systems, political systems, artifacts and technologies that originated in or are associated with the ethno-linguistically diverse India. The term al ...

2004 - 2020".

Biography

Somen Debnath, son of Shova Debnath and of Ram Mohan Debnath, is a resident of the village Basanti,

South 24 Parganas South 24 Parganas (Pron: pɔrɡɔnɔs; abbr. 24 PGS (S)), or sometimes South Twenty Four Parganas and Dakshin 24 Parganas, is a district in the Indian state of West Bengal, headquartered in Alipore. It is the largest district of West Bengal by ...

in Sundarbans,

West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. He studied

Zoology Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the Animal, animal kingdom, including the anatomy, structure, embryology, evolution, Biological clas ...

Geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ear ...

Anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of behavi ...

at the

University of Calcutta The University of Calcutta (informally known as Calcutta University; CU) is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate State university (India), state university in India, located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Considered ...

and has a degree in

Fine Arts In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwork ...

from the Sarba Bhartiya University. At the age of 16 he enrolled for specialty training at West Bengal State AIDS Control Society. Consequently, he became an activist for

awareness and he started doing voluntary and charity work, first in his village and then in all Indian provinces

Around the world on a bicycle (2004-2020)

On 27 May 2004, Debnath started a global tour with the goal to visit every country by 2020, spreading a message of HIV / AIDS awareness and

social inclusion Social exclusion or social marginalisation is the social disadvantage and relegation to the fringe of society. It is a term that has been used widely in Europe and was first used in France in the late 20th century. It is used across discipline ...

. He gives lectures in schools, universities, NGOs, and other institutions, with Noble mission, Youth on a cycling mission. A global tour with a mission. Indian cyclist reaches Qatar on 200,000 km trip Somen Debnath 200 000 kilómetros. The focus of Debnath's program is on "underprivileged people, urban, rural and tribal population worldwide who have the lowest level of awareness about this deadly disease." During his travels in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

in 2009 he was held captive for 24 days by the

Taliban The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state (polity), state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalist, m ...

. As of June 2015 Debnath had travelled to 102 countries. By March 2018 Debnath had covered 146 countries covering South America and was crossing San Salvador (capital of El Salvador) in Central America.Taliban and Syrian conflict no problem for Indian round-the-world cyclist. Indian man touring the world on a bicycle for Aids awareness. Touring the world on a bicycle. Indian cyclist on world tour to raise awareness on Aids arrives in Zimbabwe. On a mission to save the world. World cyclist visits Cape. 1 Bicycle, 12 Years, 1,37,900 km, 126 Countries: This Man Is Spreading HIV Awareness in the World! INDIAN CYCLIST SPREADING HIV AWARENESS. 16 year long bicycle ride for HIV/AIDS awareness rolls in Saint Lucia. Around the Globe in 16 Years. Somen Debnath Visits Houston on his World Bicycle Tour for HIV/AIDS and Indian Culture. Le Journal De Quebec News(French) Quebac City, Canada. Indian traveller arrives in St. Petersburg, having visited 150 countries, 4 Dec 2019Indian traveller arrives in St. Petersburg, having visited 150 countries, 4 Dec 2019 Indian Somen Debnath traveling across Mongolia

References

External links

Somen Debnath's Website

World on Bicycle 2004-2020 Website

Presentation Press Kit 2013
{{DEFAULTSORT:Debnath, Somen 1983 births Living people People from West Bengal Indian activists Indian cyclists