148 km run to promote gender equality
Mysuru: To promote gender equality, Bengaluru based running group Running Roadies decided to pull off a 148 km relay run from Bengaluru to Mysuru. The run which was flagged off in Bengaluru on Saturday reached Mysuru on Sunday afternoon.
28 runners including 9 women runners started the relay at around 3.30 PM on Saturday from Bangalore culminating at 3.30 pm on Sunday at Mysuru Palace. What started as a plan for 18 hours relay eventually became a 24 hour one with the morning sun showing no mercy. Faced with adverse conditions, the team just had one mission in mind- to reach the maximum people through this run and show that equality is what will pull us all through together.
The event was flagged off by Sushil Bhasin (who is the only 60+ age category runner to have completed a 100 miler) and Giridhar Kamath (who has recently completed Bengaluru to Varanasi in 38 days running barefoot, carrying just a 1.5 km bag with him) With the blessings of Sushil Bhasin and Giri Anna among other popular faces from the running fraternity, the run was started off towards Mysuru.
A slot of 6 km was run at 3 am exclusively by all 9 women runners in the highway up to the halfway mark between Bengaluru and Mysuru. This was to show that, if we ensure safety, women can do anything possible. The run was self-funded through donations by the 28 runners and other members of the running group. The run involved stoppages at various petrol pumps and cafe where the non-running members travelling in a bus would stop and wait for the running team to arrive and switch runners.
Gurleen Singh, founder of Running Roadies group said ”The aim of the event was to send out a strong message to the girls out there that you are equal to us, if not stronger. Don’t let society define your boundaries”.
Thus wrote Mahatma Gandhi: “Woman is more fitted than man to make exploration and take bolder action in nonviolence”.
Instead of taking the pains of running 148 kms to promote gender equality, both men and women participating in this run can pick up the litter in that 148 kms stretch of the road. That will fulfill Modi-G’s vision. Moreover that will be more meaningful. Attention-seeking has its limits. Ramakirshna ashrama do this work sincerely in Mangalore without the pomp and gait. Something to learn from them.