HindAyan invites MPs for cycle ride to mark Vijay Diwas

An organisation working towards spreading cycling culture in India has invited all Members of Parliament to take part in a symbolic bicycle ride from the Parliament to the National War Memorial in New Delhi on November 30, to mark Vijay Diwas.

Vijay Diwas is celebrated on December 16 to commemorate India’s victory in the 1971 war with Pakistan. The ride is part of a 10-km parade that HindAyan Foundation will hold in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Ministry of Defence as a tribute to the armed forces, said its convenor Vishnudas Chapke.

“The event will begin at the National Youth Hostel in Chanakyapuri and conclude at the National War Memorial near India Gate,” Chapke said, adding that it is aligned with the Sports Ministry’s “Sunday on Cycle” initiative under the Fit India Mission.

MPs from both Houses of Parliament have been invited to join the ride, said Chapke. “The idea is to honour soldiers and promote cycling as a dignified, everyday mode of transport,” he said.

The organisation has been conducting cycling expeditions and races since 2022 with support from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to promote fitness and green mobility.

Chapke, who is also the first Indian to circumnavigate the globe overland travelling through 35 countries on five continents, said that they have arranged electric bicycles and tandem cycles for those who may hesitate to balance on a regular bicycle.

Teams from India’s various armed forces have already confirmed their participation in the annual event, he said.

“Every year, the Army, Navy, Air Force and Territorial Army participate in the HindAyan Cycle Expedition,” Chapke said, adding that the Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Sashastra Seema Bal, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, and Assam Rifles will join the cycle ride. The National Investigative Agency, Narcotic Control Bureau, National Security Guards, and Central Industrial Security Force have also initiated approval processes with their respective authorities to take part in the event, he said.