Photo: Prakhar Pandey
Raahgiri turned One on November 16, and it did so in great style. There was colour, music, song dance and more to celebrate the First anniversary of this ‘movement’, which has been designed to promote walking & cycling and the ‘release’ of public spaces - especially roads, which are today dominated by the ubiquitous motor vehicles. The vision has been aptly summed up in the Raahgiri slogan: 'Apni Raahen, Apni Aazadi'. It’s time for the quiet 80% non-motorised to reclaim their space from the noisy 20%, who perhaps believe that the road is another piece of real estate that they have bought along with their cars! The organisers and core supporters, a group of committed NGOs and corporates, said that the movement has made a great impact, and the people of the City have become more sensitive to the needs of cyclists and walkers. Manas Fuloria, MD, Nagarro (Europe), a Gurgaon-based company that has supported Raahgiri as well as other initiatives for the promotion of Non-Motorised Transport (NMT), said that this experiment (now movement) has been wonderful and has helped sensitise the administration and citizens on the need for safer roads, less pollution and more cycles across the City. "Raahgiri has become more than just a localised event where people meet every Sunday. We now have to work towards spreading this message across the City, and ensuring that some actions are taken by the administration at ground level – like the setting up of better and more cycling tracks, pedestrian crossings and walkways,” said Fuloria. Many people and organisations who have silently worked behind the scenes to take this movement forward are happy that Raahgiri has created the required buzz in the first year itself, and has found favour in other parts of the country – including the Capital. Prabhat Agarwal, a technocrat turned social entrepreneur, who has supported Raahgiri from day one, opined that this movement is the culmination of a sustained campaign by an informed group of city residents who gathered under the umbrella of ‘Non-Motorised Transport’. This group has been promoting walking, cycling and the use of public transport through public events, workshops and lectures. It was to promote Non-Motorised a Transport in the City that Nagarro, and a number of other IT companies and NASSCOM came together to create an anthem called 'Walk On' – sung by Euphoria. It was Agarwal, who prefers to work quietly in the ‘back room’, who went to Colombia to understand Ciclovia, an event that was started in Bogota (the Capital) to promote Non-Motorised Transport. He was also appreciative of the police and civic administration, which have provided visible support to this weekly event - which has been held regularly despite all kinds of odds. NASSCOM has also supported the NMT movement, and has regularly organised events like 'CEO Walk to Work' in Cyber City. Recently a signature campaign had been organised to pressure Gurgoan Police to ensure the safer passage of people crossing the service lanes and highway around Shanker Chowk. Enrique Penelosa, the Mayor of Bogota, who was the chief guest on the occasion, told Friday Gurgaon that Raahgiri is a great initiative and will help ensure a better and safer experience on the roads for all commuters. "The change may come slowly. The movement will inspire the need for more cycle tracks and sidewalks, and will significantly help change the public perception about Non-Motorised Transport. I congratulate the people of Gurgaon for supporting this cause, as it will bring about great change in the years to come," he said. Penelosa added that the City will have to develop a comprehensive public transport system around buses and their routes, as the Metro system is very expensive and can't be ‘customised’ at the micro-level. “Buses have played a major role in Bogota, and I believe they will play an important role in Gurgaon as well. Events like Raahgiri also enable the creation of shared social space for all. India can play an important role in building cities that offer an equal ‘say’ to the Non-Motorised Transport users,” he said.
A large crowd had gathered on Sunday morning to hear the Mayor of Bogota, and also to participate in a number of events that had been specially organised to mark the Day. Rock band Euphoria played a number of popular numbers. Palash Sen, the lead singer, described Raahgiri as a great movement that should be taken across the country, as it ensures at least one happy, fun day in a week for the local citizens. Many social messages were also spread, through the mediums of plays and awareness campaigns – on road safety, women’s safety and the ‘right’ of ambulances on the road. Even ordinary citizens carried placards calling for the abolition of child labour and the urgent need for actions that would ensure women’s safety in the City. The issue of the registration of migrant labour as voters was also raised. Pravesh, a resident of Palam Vihar, opined that Raahgiri Day has changed the way he looks at cyclists and walkers on the roads. "Earlier I did not think about people who were using cycles, but now I try and give them space. I also have made more friends and have come to know more about ‘new’ Gurgaon," he said. Being fit is also a mantra that has come to be associated with Raahgiri, which is an ‘open sky’ event. Various activities like Zumba, Yoga and aerobics have become an integral part of Raahgiri. "Walking, cycling and participating regularly in this event has motivated us to become more active," said Vani, a participant.
Many residents of DLF and Sushant Lok areas, who have become regulars to this event, said that Raahgiri has become a part of their life and they now keep their Sunday mornings free. The people feel that the administration should now seriously consider setting up cycling paths across the City, and promote walking. Latika Thukral, founder of IamGurgaon, and who has been a key member of the Raahgiri initiative, said that the First anniversary is an opportune time to push for a comprehensive Non-Motorised Transport action plan for the City. Organising this event every Sunday has been a major logistical exercise, and the support from the Traffic Police, Road Safety Officers (RSOs) and Gurgaon Police has been phenomenal. The Raahgiri organisers were particularly appreciate of former Gurgaon Police Commissioner Alok Mittal, who ensured unstinted support to Raahgiri and was the quiet force behind it. In an earlier interview, the Police Commissioner had said that Raahgiri was a great platform for the police and the public to ‘connect’, for the public to become more civic minded and socially sensitive, and all this would help in turning Gurgaon into a safer city. The organisers now want to promote the concept of Raahgiri across the country. Agarwal also wants a separate Raahgiri event to be started in ‘old’ Gurgaon, where be believes that there will be a good response (unlike in Palam Vihar, where Raahgiri did not get much traction).
The success of the Raahgiri initiative, now a movement, proves that it was not a fad but a well thought through program, which now has the support of a majority of the City’s population. The use of both offline and online communication and publicity has helped in spreading the message. Raahgiri has gathered momentum by the Sunday. In fact some citizens want the frequency of the event to be increased to twice a week. Most of the people who came to the event on Sunday said that they were regulars and came for fun and enjoyment. Sumit Sharma, a resident of Gurgaon, said that the movement had encouraged him to buy a cycle, and he now regularly pedals his way to the market nearby to buy vegetables and groceries. "Earlier I used to take my big car even to the market, but now I have come to know about things like carbon footprint and the need to safeguard the ecology," said Sharma. Many more ‘new born’ cyclists and new cycle tracks are needed now, for Raahgiri to really qualify itself as a successful NMT movement. And what about the future? Can the Raahgiri movement ensure that a Non-Motorised (Green) Transport Plan is integrated at this stage itself in the Master Plan of Gurgaon II – the new sectors (58 to 115)? That would be a great legacy for the future of Gurgaon and many future Gurgaonites.
Deepak Thakur, a first time visitor, said that that all citizens also needed to raise their voices against the indiscriminate use of generators, which have almost become the primary suppliers of power to many complexes…and even industry. While the roads might become ‘greener’ through the promotion of NMT, the skies will become a dark grey….or black.
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