Indian environmental activist ‘Cycle Baba’ shows Afghan locals refusing to accept money, says ‘best hospitality’ | Trending News
![Indian environmental activist ‘Cycle Baba’ shows Afghan locals refusing to accept money, says ‘best hospitality’ | Trending News](https://images.indianexpress.com/2024/06/Afghan-hospitality.jpg)
Indian environmental activist ‘Cycle Baba’ shows Afghan locals refusing to accept money, says ‘best hospitality’ | Trending News
Dr Raj Phanden, also known as Cycle Baba, is an Ayurveda doctor from Bhuna in Haryana’s Fatehabad. He began his incredible ‘Wheels for Greens’ journey in 2016, to cycle through all 196 countries, raising awareness on environmental pollution, global warming, climate change, and their impacts on humanity.
Cycle Baba, currently in Afghanistan, who shares his journey on Instagram, highlighted the country’s exceptional hospitality in a recent video. Noting how local stores refuse to let him pay for anything, Baba captioned with video, “Best Hospitality till now.”
![](https://data.indianexpress.com/election2019/track_1x1.jpg)
When he asks shopkeepers why they won’t accept his money, they say “Because you are our guest.” Phanden questions how they will manage if they keep giving away things for free to visitors like him, but they dismiss his concerns.
In the video, he humorously tries to insist they take his money, at least for certain items, but they keep refusing. The scene shifts to him preparing to continue his journey, when a local asks, “How can we serve you?” Grateful but overwhelmed, Phanden responds, “No, no, you’ve done so much already, thank you so much.”
He also shares that even the hotel owner didn’t charge him for his stay, despite his repeated attempts to pay. In a conversation captured in the video, he tells the owner that he feels uncomfortable not being charged, but the owner insists, “No, no, you are a guest; it is no problem.”
He also mentions how the hotel staff went out of their way to provide multiple blankets and a heater to ensure his comfort in the cold weather.
The video not warmed hearts across the globe on social media. One user reacted to the video saying, “Wo pathan hain baccha dil bht bada hota hai hamara (“They are Pathans, kid, our hearts are very big). Another user commented, “Afghani people are so genuine.” A third user wrote, “What a respectful gesture ….. they are above all materialistic needs.” Another user wrote, “This is pure.”