BENGALURU: Twenty motorcyclists, including four women, will ride from Bandipur in south Karnataka to Bidar in the north, covering a distance of 1,000 km, starting August 29, carrying with them a message that the Karnataka aims to take to every corner of the state - “Say no to drugs”.
The campaign, taken up under the Union government’s initiative through the Department of Social Justice and the Narcotics Control Bureau, is first of its kind under the banner “Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan 2025” (Drug-free India).
The riders will pass through Mysuru, Mandya, Ramanagara, Bengaluru, Tumakuru, Chitradurga, Hampi, and several other places. They will stop at schools and colleges, where awareness programmes, seminars, and talks will be organised, Principal Secretary to the Youth Empowerment and Sports Department Naveen Raj Singh told TNIE.
The rally to be held from August 29 to 31, will be flagged off at Bandipur by forest officials. NSS, NCC and My Bharat volunteers in each city will join the campaign by forming human chains at popular junctions, distributing pamphlets, and participating in discussions on the dangers of drug abuse.
State NSS Officer Dr Pratap Lingaiah said that the participants have been drawn from different departments and organisations. These include three representatives each from the police, health, forest, NCC, and NSS, along with five from the public.
“All riders have prior experience of long-distance motorcycling, with some having completed journeys of over 2,000 km,” Lingaiah said.
The initiative is the first such long-distance motorcycle rally against drugs in Karnataka, covering the state from its southern tip to the northern border. The rally will conclude in Bidar on August 31.