Gayshing (Sikkim), Aug.27 (ANI): In a unique act, a 21-year-old man in Sikkim is spreading social awareness among youth against drug addiction, excessive drinking and on AIDS by performing various stunts on motorbike.

Milan Pradhan, stunt rider, fascinates large number of crowds as he performs various formidable stunts on motorbike.

All the time Pradhan is riding, popping wheelies or sometimes burning rubber.

He performed recently in Gayshing town of Sikkim with another stunt rider.

“I want to give the message to young boys that by doing stunts you can earn a very good name and ensure a bright future. You will get busy in some work. You will forget about drugs once you are busy. By sitting in a room and taking drugs will not achieve spoil your name but stunts will make your future,” says Milan Pradhan, stunt rider.

He says the young boys love motorcycling and if they could be drawn into stunt riding which needs a high level of fitness and concentration, it will keep youngsters busy in a constructive way and they will have less chances of getting into drug habits.

Pradhan is a college student. He devotes most of his time learning new motorbike driving skills in style, when he is not attending classes or doing assignments.

He tells that he started trying stunt-riding when he was in his early teenage. The family was hesitant to allow him try hand on motorbike stunts.

But Pradhan managed to convince them by showing his daredevil spirit, which helped him keep away from attracted to drugs.

His love for performing tricks on motorbike has led him to appear for the MTV ‘Stuntmania’ and now he wants to pursue stunt biking to a greater level.

Organisers of the event said that generally the youth are interested in fast life, which sometimes can trap them into drug-addiction and anti-social activities. Motorcycle race or stunt riding can give them alternatives that match with their fast life but in a positive way.

“Biking goes very well with the present-day youth. The youth are very interested in fast cars, fast bikes. And with the fast life comes the very possibility of getting drawn to drug addiction, alcoholism and also the fear of AIDS. So with the youth coming and watching such programmes… we want to motivate them towards like diverting their lifestyle or mind to constructive things,” said Anand, organiser of the bike stunt show.

Organisers say such events will go a long way in attracting the youth to stunts and thereby indirectly diverting their minds from drugs and alcoholism.

Sikkim is located in the foothills of the Himalayas and shares international borders with Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet. The northeastern belt, including Sikkim, has recently become a favourite transit point used by drug peddlers for smuggling drugs.

The unofficial data shows that use of alcohol has traditionally been prevalent among the local people. The state government has been running campaigns to create awareness on drugs and associated HIV/AIDS.

Alcohol use is traditionally prevalent in Sikkim and National Family Health Survey-2, Government of India, shows a significant prevalence of alcohol use in Sikkim- Boys (32%) and Girls (17%) among above 15 years of age. By Tashi Pradhan (ANI)