Corrigendum: We are regretted that few information have been published on this article wrongly, hence corrections are made and the error has now been rectified and is regretted.
The Bikerhood Meet: "Ride For Heroes" is successfully concluded on 6th of September 2015. Quoting Bikerhood. ‘Today, at this very minute of this very day, our country's heroes are facing a war of their own: they are facing injustice, discrimination, and barely any response or coverage despite their repeated efforts to achieve this for decades’.
The event was held at Inorbit mall, Malad in Mumbai. People were supposed to reach there at 8 AM. So the ride from Pune started at 5 in the morning where Royal Herald rode all the way from Mumbai to accompany Lt. Col Sohan Roy from Pune back to Mumbai. Within few hours of ride we reached at the venue where all the bikers were welcomed by veterans. After snacks the short ride in the city started. And after a round circuit, it ended in Inorbit’s basement parking. The event was envisioned by Sachin Ramesh Shinde and his fiancée Tina Mohandas who has co-organised and co-executed the event. The goal of the Bikerhood Meet is to have the admins/presidents of different biking groups come forth and sign the Declaration scroll, which is a pledge to one's nation and planet, i.e. a pledge to protect Mother Nature, to protect voiceless animals from cruelty and abuse, to uphold the law as responsible citizens that promote rider safety, and to help make our country and planet a better place for all living beings alike.
Bikerhood saw many riding clubs and veterans gather together to support the cause. Riding clubs like FazerRiders (FRC), Royal Enfielders, Fuel Killers, The Bikerni, Naked Wolves, Night Wolf Riding Commando, Bikers United, RERAM, Federation For Motoring Tourism India, Biker Brothers, Ride India, The Lycans Pune and Bombay RD350Club were present at the venue. The event witnessed war veterans Gen. P.M.Mohandas, Maj Katragadda, Lt Col Sohan Roy, Col Jayashree, Cdr Pathak, Wing Cdr Bendre, Members of I.E.S.M (Indian Ex-Servicemen Movment), F.M.T.I.(Federation for Motoring Tourism India), Col Chaturvedi, Col Jayashree Baxi and Brig. Gulati. Some of them spoke about their lives and about the bikers and the army personnel working together. They shared their life experiences while they were serving. Every one of them gave something to the bikers to get motivated. It was a pleasant experience. After the inspiring speeches by the veterans Bikerhood presented everyone a petition where group admins wrote their name and put thumbprints on the petition, pledging that they would protect Mother Nature and will help to make our country and planet a better place for all. When asked about the event, Sachin said
We had faith that our Biker Brothers and Sisters would show their support in showing their appreciation for the efforts and many sacrifices that the veterans have put in to keep our country safe. Yet we were pleasantly surprised when 70+ people showed up! It was a great turnout for our first leg of the nationwide tour.
He further added:
Our Next stop is Delhi and for this meet we have something extraordinary in mind, that will completely redefine the way our country sees bikers. We have something exciting in store for both current and future members of the growing Bikerhood community.
The event was a success, not only because of the arrangements and the planning but the number of people who turned up. ‘The event is by the Bikers for the Bikers’ as rightly said by the organizers. After all, people are what our community is made of. BikesIndia wishes Bikerhood all the best for the future and we hope that they reach out to more and more people not only about the OROP but other problems of the society as well.
By: Rituraj Sambherao