LONDON, June 5 (Bernama) -- A 72-year- old Sikh Wednesday started a 500-mile walk from Edinburgh to London to raise one million pounds for research into bowel cancer, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.
A large number of Sikhs and others gave Balwant Singh 'Bobby' Singh Grewal a rousing send-off outside the Scottish Parliament building.
To the accompaniment of 'dholaks' and Punjabi songs, the Scottish Minister for Public Health Shona Robison cut the ribbon to mark the start of Grewal's walk.
Grewal was also supported by India's Consul-General in Edinburgh, Ramesh Chander.
He is scheduled to cover the 500-mile journey on foot over five weeks and reach the House of Parliament in London in July nine.
Grewal is undertaking the walk to raise one million pounds for research into bowel cancer and other bowel diseases at St Mark's Hospital, Harrow, a hospital unique in the U.K.
Bowel cancer refers to cancerous growth of cells in parts in large intestine like Colon and others like Appendix and Rectum.
A keen sportsman, Grewal was born in Punjab and migrated to Britain in 1958.
In 2001, he ran the London Marathon in just over five hours, and in 2004-5 (aged 68), he completed a walk covering 2,500 miles across India from the North-West frontier to the deep South.
The walk raised 100,000 pounds for research into cancer and AIDS.
Grewal is very proud to be British, but has not forgotten the values of life he inherited from his birthplace, Punjab.
-- BERNAMA