Girl power on the wheels

India’s longest inter-state women car rally, which is being organised in Gurgaon on April 7, will give women a chance to show their prowess behind the wheels.

India’s longest inter-state women car rally, which is being organised in Gurgaon on April 7, will give women a chance to show their prowess behind the wheels. “People often make fun of women drivers. I wanted the world to sit up and take them seriously. What better than an all-women car rally to showcase their driving skills,” says Sanjay Kaushik, founder of Uthaan, a Gurgaon-based NGO that’s organising the rally.

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Since the rally’s inception in 2006, the number of members have almost tripled. “Participants from all over the country, including Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Mumbai and Chandigarh have registered,” says Kaushik.

Driving Force Most races are on the basis of speed, but this rally, which has been listed as India’s longest inter-state women car tally in the Limca Book of Records since the last five years, is different. It tests the calculation, confidence, reversing and car parking skills of a woman driver. “Most women have the habit of asking people for directions, which is not possible on a highway. We have put landmarks on the way, which test a woman’s sense of direction,” says Kaushik.

“Once the rally reaches its destination, there are interesting competitions like reversing the car or parking it between two cars,” says Vamini Sethi, who participated last year, and is looking forward to compete this year as well.