SECURING BORDERS- DRIVE
A Salute to Martyrs.
A Salute to Martyrs.
(part-I)
‘To travel a hundred miles is equal to acquiring the knowledge of a thousand books’
- An old Chinese saying.
The spirit of adventure and the quest to explore the lesser known and lesser travelled paths made us embark on this unique and exemplary expedition titled ‘ Securing Borders- Drive’. The expedition began on the 15th of August 2010 and concluded on the 3rd of September. Though the original plan of the expedition, to reach Leh via Kargil and Drass had to be altered in light of the national disaster that happened in Leh, the last minute change of plan to drive along the important border posts of the International Border (IB) with Pakistan, did offer enough challenges of its own. The experience of driving through the marshy Rann of Kutch, the desert of Rajasthan & textile players of Punjab was as stunning as it was extent. To have complete the expedition over 20 days covering more than 6000 kms through various terrain across 6 states has been one of the inimitable experience of or all of us.
The prelude
The expedition involved exhaustive planning, hours of discussions and deliberations that finally crystallized into a clear plan of action with which the expedition leader Lt Cdr (Dr) Pravin Deosthalee approached FIAT India Ltd. After adequate deliberation FIAT India Ltd finally agreed to sponsor this unique expedition by providing two ‘FIAT Punto Grande 90 bhp’ cars and funds to cover for the expenses to be incurred.
The two cars MH12 GF 0923 and MH12 GF 1162 were handed over to the team on the 13th of Aug for trials and stickering. The sheer power offered by the car was a matter of awe for all the drivers. The crew had been briefed and trained on a regular basis and the time for performance was almost there. Star Maaza covered the expedition, by interviewing all the crew members and the leaders in their programme ‘College Katta’ on the eve of the expedition. The excitement was building and the team was roaring to go.
The prelude
The expedition involved exhaustive planning, hours of discussions and deliberations that finally crystallized into a clear plan of action with which the expedition leader Lt Cdr (Dr) Pravin Deosthalee approached FIAT India Ltd. After adequate deliberation FIAT India Ltd finally agreed to sponsor this unique expedition by providing two ‘FIAT Punto Grande 90 bhp’ cars and funds to cover for the expenses to be incurred.
The two cars MH12 GF 0923 and MH12 GF 1162 were handed over to the team on the 13th of Aug for trials and stickering. The sheer power offered by the car was a matter of awe for all the drivers. The crew had been briefed and trained on a regular basis and the time for performance was almost there. Star Maaza covered the expedition, by interviewing all the crew members and the leaders in their programme ‘College Katta’ on the eve of the expedition. The excitement was building and the team was roaring to go.
Mumbai - Vadodra
The expedition was flagged of from Chetana College premises at Mumbai on the 15th of August 2010, The original expedition to Leh was initially to be flagged off on the 1st of August bus was latter changed to the 15th August as it seemed to be an ideal occasion to start an expedition whose primary objective was to pay tributes to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives defending our country. Now in after thought, the decision seems to be not only appropriate, but also providential, because, if we would have started for Leh on the 1st of Aug, we could have been among the casualties there. We were definitely saved the horror and had enough time to alter our plan though not without a slight disappointment. But nonetheless we had decided to go ahead with the expedition after all and make it equally challenging.
The flag-off was a special moment for all. All the preparations were in place and it was time to bid farewell to all for the next twenty odd days. Parents, friends, colleagues and well-wishers were present to bid the team farewell and wishing them a safe and happy journey. Mr. Shirish M. Chaudhary, the Vice President of Chetana Education Trust and Mr. Marias D’Lima the Head of Corporate Communications- FAIPL flagged off the expedition from the college premises, after the flag hoisting ceremony.
The first and second cars were commanded by Lt Cdr (Dr) Deosthalee (Expedition Leader) and Prof. Shivaprasad M. (Expedition Co-ordinator ) respectively. The destination for the first day was the city of Vadodra, known for its dairy industry. The drive was pleasant as the condition of roads was very good. The cars were very comfortable and performed flawlessly. The landscape seemed to be covered in a carpet of greenery in the monsoons. We saw some really spectacular sights along the way. A few remnants of accidents that we crossed by made us realize how important it was for us to be extremely cautious and alert on the road. We had breakfast on the road somewhere between Virar and Palgarh. The rest of the day was by and large uneventfull. We had lunch on the outskirts of Surat and reached Vadodra before sunset. The first task on Vadodra was to find a suitable accommodation. Later the students busied themselves in attending to the cars and the EL and EC were engaged in arranging for the flag off the next day. The District Forest Officer of Vadodra Mr Jain agreed to flag of the expedition towards Bhuj on the second day. We retired to bed early, hoping to start early on the next day.
(to be continued)
______________________________________________________________________Article by
Prof Shivaprasad. M,
Expedition Coordinator,
‘Securing Borders Drive’.
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