Daredevil BSF Lady Riders; Message For India

Thirty-six intrepid riders from the BSF Seema Bhawani All-Women Daredevil Motorcycle Team have set out on a pan-India journey with an important message -- there is nothing that can stop women from achieving their dreams.

Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.com caught up with some of these amazing women before they set out for their pioneering ride.

They strode forward, helmets under their arms, confidence and pride in every step.

The powerful growl of the Royal Enfield motorbikes underlined their sense of purpose.

It was a truly magnificent sight.

Everyone is still talking about the spectacular motorcycle performance by 106 riders of Border Security Force's Seema Bhawani -- their all-women division -- at the Republic Day parade in New Delhi.

But these daredevils are not willing to rest on their laurels.

Barely a month after they displayed their mastery over their bikes at Rajpath on January 26, 36 of them have set out on a gruelling 5,280 kilometre ride that will span much of the country.

The BSF Seema Bhawani Shaurya Expedition Empowerment Ride 2022, which began in Delhi on March 8, International Women's Day, will end in Chennai after 21 days.

The expedition will celebrate women's achievements, forge a positive visibility about women and spread the message of women's empowerment.

Through this journey, they hope to inspire girls and women to take on a major role in shaping the future of the nation; they hope to tell them that there is no challenge that is impossible and no milestone that cannot be achieved.

Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.com caught up with some of the riders before they were flagged off from India Gate in New Delhi.

While they were cheerful and enthusiastic about their mission, they were surprisingly camera-shy.

Then, 30-year-old Shruti Avaroli from Karnataka stepped forward with a powerful message.

She is just 25 years old, but West Bengal's Nandita Samantha knows exactly what discrimination against women means. Her story exemplifies what women can achieve when they set their minds to it.

It's 27-year-old Pallavi Saroj's first expedition and she's excited. Pallavi, who is from Amethi, the Uttar Pradesh district that's always in the news, hopes their ride will inspire women.

Pallavi is joined by a very shy Upashana Ghising, who comes from the northern part of West Bengal. You won't, however, want to take a panga with this BSF brave in real life.

For Usha Yadav, a 32-year-old mother to a seven year old, joining the Seema Bhawani was just another step in following her passion.

She does not believe that one's gender should be a barrier in any way. "If an individual wants to achieve something, they surely can," she says. "How does it matter if you are a man or a woman?"

This mission's team leader, Inspector Himanshu Sirohi, has a "unique sense of adventure". Her family, she says, has always encouraged her to follow her dreams and that what she'd like every family in India to do for their children.