Staff reporter
DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 3
A GROUP of 35 bikers forming the ‘Shashakt Bharat’ have embarked on an expedition to the north eastern region aimed at commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Indo-China War as well as to reconnect with their north eastern brethren as part of propagating national communal harmony. The theme of the rally “west meets and greets east and north- east” is led by Dr. Sandeep Mahind. The rally started on September 21 from Pune and culminates at Guwahati on October 9.
Earlier, the bikers reached Dimapur at around 4:30 pm on Thursday and were received at Nagaland Gate. The bikers will proceed with the tour on October 4 onward to Imphal via Kohima from where they shall proceed to Silchar in Assam then to Shillong in Meghalaya. They will wind up the rally in North Eastern States on October 9.
In Nagaland, the bikers were welcomed with a reception held at Rotary Centre at Midland in Dimapur. The youngest biker of the group was Sai Joshi, aged 11 years old.
Addressing the reception, Dimapur’s Deputy Commissioner Hushili Sema said ‘Shashakt Bharat’ has taken a ‘big step towards bringing peace and harmony in the nation’ and that if such ventures were carried out the country would flourish amid cultural diversity.
Dimapur is a ‘mini-India’, she said as people from different parts of the nation coexist with different religious beliefs and cultures. She wished all the bikers to keep up their ‘good team spirit’ and continue pursuing their goals.
Leader of the group, Dr. Sandeep Mahind spoke on behalf of the group. He said that the bikers started their journey with the goal of cultural exchange and to learn about the people from the north east region. After entering Nagaland, he said to have realized, Nagas may look different physically but as persons inside they are same with everyone else as citizens of one society and nation. ‘Even if the sun rises in the east and sets in the west the people of our nation is the same,’ he said.
