The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Motorcycle expedition flagged off

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 27, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Motorcycle expedition flagged off

Staff Reporter

They will capture on film the plight of the people living in the border areas

— Photo: K. Murali Kumar

RIDING TO GLORY: Team members taking off for an expedition, in Bangalore on Sunday.

BANGALORE: Less than a fortnight after the patriotic fervour reached a deafening crescendo, an intrepid threesome, keen to celebrate the 61st year of the country’s independence differently, set out on motorcycles to the country’s northern frontiers. Their intent: to capture the plight of the people living along India’s border areas.

As has become almost customary with such long rides, members of the team, Debraj Banerjee (27), Devidas Menon (29) and Praveen Unni (26), straddled the legendary Royal Enfield motorcycles, at the flag off early on Sunday from the Mahatma Gandhi Statue, near Cubbon Park, even as curious onlookers assembled by the dozens to get a glimpse of the action.

Deputy Commissioner of Police B.N.S. Reddy flagged off the expedition. Speaking to The Hindu at the event, Mr. Reddy said, “Being a sportsman myself, I wish I too could have taken part in the ride. I wish the youngsters all th e best and hope that more youth from the State take part in such events.” While interacting with the riders, he advised them to put safety ahead of all else and avoid over-speeding.

Minutes before the flag-off, a group of about 20 motorcyclists suddenly appeared from nowhere and much to everyone’s amazement escorted the three riders to the city limits. It turned out later that the motorcyclists were members of various biking clubs such as the Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club, Bangalore Bullet Club and Royal Knights, who had found out about this ride and had decided to come over to extend support to the team.

Noticing this, Mr. Reddy remarked, “Such unity among the youth is a fabulous sight to behold.”

The riders who are all information technology professionals are also aiming at tracing the footprints of history by capturing the distinctive culture of the areas on the boundaries on film. Their 10,000-km motorcycle ride, spanning 35 days, would take them to the Indo-Sino borders and the Indo-Pak borders. They would also be staying in Kargil and Drass to get a firsthand experience of the dangers faced by soldiers and the civilians living there.

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