Maj-Gen Somnath Jha (retd) who completed his cycling campaign in Dehradun on Thursday. A Tribune Photograph

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, April 13

He is not like other Army veterans, who would have loved playing golf after retirement. But Maj-Gen Somnath Jha (retd) had something else in his mind when he hung up his boots in September 2016.Pushing 60, Maj-Gen Somnath Jha decided to go for 42,000 minutes of cycling as a tribute to 21,000 martyrs of the country. He resolved that for these 21,000 martyrs, he would cycle for two minutes for each one of them, the total of which would come to 42,000 minutes of cycling. Jha today reached Dehradun finally completing 42,000 minutes of cycling and covering all the 29 states of the country which he did in seven months.Talking to The Tribune in Dehradun, Maj-Gen Somnath Jha said he received a standing ovation from commoners wherever he went during his cycling campaign. “I met ordinary people, who lauded my pledge for cycling for the fallen heroes of the country. I even met family members of many martyrs, who appreciated my gesture,” he said. He said a large number of veterans, NCC groups and even serving personnel came forward to greet me at various places.“I had pledged to do this task as a tribute to the fallen soldiers of the country and I have completed it today. Rain, heat, etc on the way were no excuse,” Maj Gen Somnath Jha said.