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Driving home a point

Last Updated 28 November 2017, 18:48 IST

It was a fun-filled weekend for about 200 women from the city as they set out on a women's car rally from Bengaluru to Coorg. Presented by 'Zeroin', the event 'Driven 3.0' was flagged off from Bowring Institute on Friday.  

The aim of the rally was to promote Karnataka tourism and bring together women from different walks of life who are passionate about driving. It gave  women the opportunity to break free from their day-to-day routine.

The drive  started from Bengaluru  and headed towards Ramangaram, the silk city, all the way till Madikeri.  Mandya, Rangannathittu, Bilikere, Hunsur, Kushalnagar and Talacauveri were the other destinations.

Sharmila Furtado,  one of the participants, says, "It was such a great event as it  aimed to inculcate the importance of road safety amongst women and the general public. It was special for me as it is the first time I am doing something like this."

The participants were allowed to take  two or three people along with them to help them with navigation and keep time.

Sharmila took her husband along. "I wasn't too prepared for this drive but it was wonderful to have my husband with me. It helped us communicate better and solve whatever issues came our way together," she explains.  

As for another participant Anamika Bist,  this rally wasn't her first. But her companion  and navigator was her 12-year-old daughter Aaliyah.

"She was the saving grace for this drive. For those two days, I became the child and she was the mother. Though she was nervous when calculating the time and  guiding me through the whole journey, she did it with such ease and ensured that I was calm. She was the youngest navigator this time," she proudly exclaims.  

Aaliyah says, "I wasn't too sure what to do initially  but my dad helped me understand. I was definitely nervous but it turned out to be  very interesting. It was great to come back to school after the drive and narrate my experiences to my friends. Most of them didn't even know what a rally was! I look forward to my next drive."

The initiative taken from 'Driven' was something everyone found relevant. It was also the chance for many women to prove that they are also good drivers. Another participant at the rally, Asha Prakasha says, "I saw the event on Facebook and I wanted to be a part of it. I work for an NGO where we empower women and this just  turned out to be the perfect place for me."  

Asha took this drive to also discover herself and meet new people. "I used to be a  Bulletier  but I haven't been able to ride after I met with an accident. That's why this was an enriching experience for me. I loved that we could prove that women are also good drivers. We drove for 14 hours and no one was hurt or encountered any sort of danger," she explains.  

The drivers returned  to the city on Sunday.

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(Published 28 November 2017, 12:04 IST)

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