Gurgaon: Visually impaired lead the way in this unique car rally

Drivers weren’t aware of the route and had to rely on visually impaired navigators to guide them

Updated on: Jan 21, 2018, 23:34:35 IST

Hindustan Times | By Leena Dhankhar, Gurgaon

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It was a car rally like no other, as visually impaired participants turned navigators and guided drivers with normal vision through rough terrain spanning 47 kilometres. The idea was to send out a message that disability is no bar to taking up any pursuit and breaking new grounds.

The rally covered a range of terrains, from state highways to dirt tracks in villages. (HT PHOTO)

While the rally sought to raise general awareness on the importance of adhering to traffic rules, it also presented visually impaired people with an opportunity to overcome their disabilities and showcase their road navigating skills.

Sanjay Kaushik, president, Uthaan, an NGO, flagged off the rally from Manger police post on Gurgaon-Faridabad road at 10.30am on Saturday. The rally covered a range of terrain, from state highways to dirt tracks in villages. The off-track driving presented the participants with an opportunity to experience and explore the Aravallis and other challenging terrains.

The rally snaked its way through Manger, Silaghiri, Balabhgarg, Sohna Road, Sirohi, Lalkhedi, Mandawar, DamDama, Harchandpur, Khedi, Sejawas, Bhondsi, Badshahpur, Rajiv Chowk and National Highway-8 before culminating in Sector 15.

The rally featured participants from Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Chandigarh. The drivers weren’t aware of the 47-km route and were solely reliant on their navigators for guidance with the help of the route map in Braille.

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“The navigators used their skills to direct drivers and helped them overcome the rough terrain. Though fraught with challenges and risks, each and every participant enjoyed the experience,” Kaushik said.

As many as 35 cars took part in the rally. The coordination, bonding and team work between the drivers and navigators stood out as the rally snaked along.

“Since the route map was in Braille, I could understand and interpret it without much trouble. Also, the rally gave me an opportunity to get acquainted with the driver. We built a nice rapport,” Yogesh Taneja, a visually-impaired participant, employed with the Union Bank of India, said.

Ajit Kumar, another visually impaired navigator, said, “I picked up a lot of short forms from the route map. I chatted up the driver and learnt a lot about routes from her as well. I could identify five speed breakers along the way.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leena Dhankhar
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest. Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents. Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing. Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity. Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations. Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling. A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.Read More