Maharashtra govt to support HindAyan cycle expedition

The Maharashtra government will support the second edition of HindAyan which will travel from Delhi to Pune via Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra from February 10-18, 2024.

The government has urged various authorities in the Mumbai Metropolitan and Pune region to support the organiser.

In Maharashtra, the HindAyan will travel from Thane to Mumbai via sea link on February 17. The next day, February 18, it will continue from Azad Maidan Mumbai to Pune. 

Both legs would be expeditions and not competitions.

The School Education and Sports Department of Maharashtra, in a letter requested the Municipal Commissioners of Thane, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, and Panvel to provide civic amenities like drinking water, mobile toilets, fire tender, and parking during the expedition.

In the same letter, the of police commissioners of Thane, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, and Pune are requested to provide bandobast, traffic arrangements, and pilot van to lead the cyclists. They are further requested to facilitate two lanes – one lane for cyclists and the other for supporting vehicles like ambulances and repair vans.

"The Olympics have 22 cycling events in five disciplines. Cycling is one of the disciplines with the highest number of medals - 66.  However, in India, we do not see cycling as a sport. As a result, not a single Indian cyclist has been qualified to represent India in the last 60 years," said Vishnudas Chapke, convenor of HindAyan Foundation.

Chapke, a former journalist, is the first and only Indian to circumnavigate the globe overland, travelling through 35 countries on five continents (Asia, Australia, South America, North America, and Europe).

In fact, 1964 was the last Olympics event in which four cyclists - Amar Sokhi, Dalbir Singh Gill, Chetan Heri, and Amar Billing had represented India in cycling at the Olympics. Since then, no Indian cyclist has qualified. Hence, education department officials have requested if the school students could get an opportunity to witness this event.

“This year, we have three stage races of 100 km each, in the Konkan division. If we get enough sponsorship, we desire to increase the number of stage races. We also planned long endurance expeditions – Delhi to Agra and Mumbai to Pune. To promote cycling among youth, we planned Joy rides of 25 km in Delhi and Jaipur, intercity rides from Ahmedabad to Gandhinagar and Thane to Mumbai," he said.