Republic Day 2024: Delhi-NCR’s bikers ride with Tricolour

Professing their patriotism for the country and coupling it with their passion for riding bikes, several biking groups in Delhi-NCR have taken to the city streets today, to celebrate Republic Day. So if you hear the sound of bikes while you are wrapped in your blankets and quilts and watching television, you know who is it outside on the roads!
Sharing their zest is the motorcycling group Batch of Soul Superbikers (B.O.S.S), who have rolled out to be part of their annual R-Day rally with the Tiranga fluttering on their bikes. “It’s not only for the love of riding but also for the love of our Tiranga that we organised this ride,” says Supreet Sehgal, founder of the Delhi-based group that is covering a stretch of 180kms between Shantipath and Greater Noida via the Yamuna Expressway. “We always ride in a formation and emphasise the maintenance of cleanliness and hygiene of our roads. Today, we’ll also have a flag hoisting ceremony and alongside cut a Tricolour cake. All our efforts are about ensuring our Tiranga stays safe, so whenever we spot any flag strewn on the road, we pick it up immediately because it’s our pride and love for the nation.”
A similar sense of pride sparkles those bikers who are from the Army background and are part of the Gurugram-based Motorhead Motorcycle Club. Rajat Uppal, founder of the group, shares, “We are around 45 riders, and most of us are either Army kids or have been a part of the Armed Forces ourselves. Our emphasis has always been on promoting safe and disciplined riding, so we discourage any daredevil stunts on the roads. Some of our group’s members are also sitting or retired judges. So Republic Day celebrations hold a special place in our hearts… We’ve been riding for almost a decade and a half, but the charm of riding on R-Day is never truly gone! This year, our rally will begin from sector-15Gurugram and we will go towards Rohtak via the Kundli–Manesar–Palwal Expressway while covering about 200km and shall stop in Panchgaon for hot paranthas and chai for breakfast.”
And then there are some groups that are taking their mean machines beyond the city’s borders. This includes the Delhi Chapter of India Bull Riders Motorcycle Club, wherein one of the crew members and moderators, Ash Sharma, shares, “Our rally’s flag off was conducted with a Tricolour. This time, our Republic Day Winter Ride is a three-day affair that started from Kausani in Uttarakhand. Then we assembled at Akshardham today early morning, and pushed off to take a 1,000km ride to and fro… We chose this place because it has a remarkable history from the times when it was part of the English colony, and the rulers had set up the headquarters and centre here. So we’re going to be where the British would be, by evening, and shall celebrate the Republic Day at a place where Indians weren’t even allowed back in the day. Sitting on this campsite, we will surely remember how our motherland is celebrating the 75th Republic Day in an honest spirit… So we don’t paste our flags on our bikes because the high speed can lead to their stitching coming off. We instead have the flag on our tees, jackets and in our hearts, too!”
In a similar vein will be the celebrations of the Nation Salute Ride by the Royal Mavericks, who will throw the spotlight on road safety. Tarique Afaque, founder of the group, shares, “We are also promoting road safety because that’s an active way to salute the nation. Also, we don’t allow fancy number plates or half helmets and made it mandatory for riders to have stock silencers to reduce noise pollution. Plus, this year’s theme is to make the streets safer for everyone, and that’s what we’ll attempt to promote while covering a 45km stretch from DLF Downtown in Gurugram to sector 44, at a hotel where everyone will have breakfast and participate in a session on road safety.”