CHENNAI: Mounted on their bulky bikes, these youngsters travelled 8,000 kilometres in less than 16 days. But their road trip that spanned an impressive 14 States, was not for fun and frolic. It was to raise the red flag on an issue the country is grappling with — violence against women. Their journey concluded on Wednesday in the city with an event called the last lap. “Our trip started from Ispahani Centre in Nungambakkam actually,” says Syed, one of the seven bikers of Chennai Superbikers Club who along with Madras Piston Heads and United Wheels undertook this awareness journey.
Together they visited NGOs across the nation, to understand the various issues women faced, and to spread messages on the same. He recounted the struggles of HIV-affected women and children, and issues like dowry and foeticide, which they witnessed in many of the villages they had visited. “I gained a different perspective to the concept of trafficking when I saw the red light area. It was an enlightening journey,” says Hariharan, a fellow biker.
Their journey took them around highways and rocky roads around cities like Kolkata, Kanpur, Delhi, Mumbai and Mangalore.
“The weather was often bad, but we were unstoppable,” says the biker, while the rest of the members smile in assent.
The group pulled off a 22-hour long ride from Kolkata to Kanpur without any stops to manage this feat.
Wednesday saw them concluding their journey in the presence of the chief guest Justice K Gnanaprakasam (retired) and guest of honour Anitha Sivakumar, founder of Parambriym group, one of the co-sponsors.