The all-woman bike rally taking off from the National War Memorial at New Delhi. (Photo by special arrangement.)
New Delhi: To commemorate 24 years of victory over Pakistan in the 1999 Kargil war and to highlight the indomitable spirit of women, the Indian Army and motorcycle major TVS Motor Company launched an all-woman bike rally from National War Memorial in Delhi to Kargil War Memorial in Dras (Ladakh), on July 18.
The triservices’ “Nari Sashaktikaran All-Women Motorcycle Rally” (women empowerment all-women motorcycle rally) was flagged off by the Indian Army chief, General Manoj Pande, and the Army Wives Welfare Association president, Archana Pande, in the presence of the TVS Motor Company’s business head of premium two-wheeler division, Vimal Sumbly.
The rally members were motivated and cheered by a large crowd which had gathered at the venue.
The 25-member strong triservices team includes two “Veer Naris” (war widows), one of whom is a serving officer, 10 serving Indian Army women officers, one woman officer each from the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy, three women soldiers of Indian Army and eight armed forces spouses.
The team will celebrate the decisive victory of the Indian armed forces in the Kargil war and pay tribute to the soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice in service of the nation.
The rally will cover a total distance of approximately 1,000 kilometres, wherein the team will traverse through the plains of Haryana, Punjab, and the high mountain passes of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh to reach Kargil War Memorial in Dras on July 25.
During the rally, the team will interact with NCC cadets, students from various schools/colleges, veterans, and war widows.
For this rally, the Indian Army has partnered with the TVS Motor Company, and the participants will be riding on TVS Ronin motorcycles.
Gen Pande complimented the entire team for taking up such a challenging journey which highlights qualities of determination, “nari shakti” (women power), and the vital role played by women in nation building.
