After Being Captured By Taliban, Globe-Trotting HIV Activist Cycles To Malta – His 168th Country
Robbed in multiple countries, beaten by skinheads and captured by the Taliban and blindfolded for three weeks in a dungeon was never going to be enough to stop Somen Debnath’s lifelong self-imposed international journey.
His mission? To raise awareness of HIV/AIDS, how deadly it can be, and how one can avoid it. After finding out about the illness at the young age of 14, Debnath decided to travel to every single country in the world, speaking on this topic, as well as promoting Indian culture wherever he went.
Since 2006, he’s travelled to 167 countries – and all on his trusty bicycle.
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With Malta being his 168th country, Lovin Malta spoke to the HIV spokesperson and globetrotter about his personal mission via the High Commission of India in Malta, who welcomed Debnath to the island.
“Malta is the last country in my European tour – and it is one of the most beautiful countries in Mediterranean that I’ve visited,” Debnath told Lovin Malta.
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Saying he wanted to learn more about Malta’s unique culture while here, he wanted to send a message to the people on safe practices to avoid getting an STD.
“Malta is a tourist-friendly country and HIV/AIDS which can be transmitted from human to humans by tourists, so social awareness is always important,” he said.
@lovinmaltaofficial 🙌🏻🇲🇹🇮🇳#malta #maltatiktok #lovinmalta #fypmalta #LovinMalta #cycling #india #malta #hiv #hivactivist #globetrotting #cyclingtiktok ♬ original sound – Lovin Malta
Debnath left India in 2004 after graduating from University with a Bachelors of Science in Zoology, and has been travelling since then, though COVID-19 delayed his plans by a bit.
In his journey, he’s covered over 179,800km on bike, including far-flung zones such as the North Pole, Arctic Circle, and all the way from the Caribbean to little Malta.
His obsession with HIV started when he read an article about a homeless man who suffered from AIDS who had been abandoned and left to die alone in Kolkata when Debnath was just 14. The story affected his greatly, with AIDS-related stigma becoming a central point to fight against wherever he went – be it in India, or anywhere else in the world.
His journey has been anything but boring.
In 2007, he was captured by the terrorist organisation the Taliban in Afghanistan for 24 days. He was kept blindfolded in a “dungeon” for three weeks; a subsequent report in the UK’s The Telegraph reported his story by saying he was released though his message of peace, non-violence – and via his curry cooking.
During his tour, Debnath has met with countless NGOs in both urban and rural areas, as well as visited schools, colleges, universities, red light areas, public events and numerous restaurants.
He’s met 72 prime Ministers and 38 presidents in his journey – and his entire journey is supported via public donations and company sponsorships.
If you’d like to follow Somen Debnath’s journey around the world, follow him on his social media.
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