Umeed 1000 Cyclothon culminates in city
Neha Saini
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, November 19
Umeed 1000 Cyclothon, a CSR initiative by RBL Bank, which was flagged off in Udaipur on November 10, culminated at the IIM-Amritsar campus on Tuesday.
The cyclists were received with warm hugs and amid dhol beats at the IIM campus in the presence of Navinderpreet Singh Longowal, representing Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president and his father Gobind Singh Longowal. Bollywood actor Tamannaah Bhatia also attended the ceremony to show her solidarity with the cause.
Starspeak: Tamannaah Bhatia
Actor Tamannaah Bhatia, who lended her support to the initiative, said she was glad that she was associated with education of the girl child. “I feel that the most powerful empowerment tool is education and every girl should have the right to access it. I have been associated with the cause for a long time and it is not something that I must do as a celebrity but as an individual citizen who wants to empower the future of our country.” Tamannaah, who is considered an import of South Indian film industry to Bollywood, said the increasing collaborations between the two industries are the beginning of a good change. “I feel there are so many stories that we can share if the boundaries of regional cinema and Bollywood are dissolved. I think it was our responsibility to break the barriers and create an Indian film industry. The healthy exchange will give us an opportunity to explore so many stories and cultural aspects of our country.” Of course, being a Sindhi, she did share that she would like to work in a Punjabi movie as well.
Led by Jasmeet Gandhi, a cycling enthusiast, who is also passionate about contributing towards girl child education, the cyclothon saw participation of RBL Bank employees and 400 policemen from Haryana Police, who covered the stretch through Haryana to raise awareness about girl child education. “Thirtyfive cyclists, who participated in the event, covered a distance of 1000 km peddling through Haryana and Punjab in 10 days to reach Amritsar. Police personnel also joined us while going through the state. The aim was to motivate and sensitise people towards the girl child and facilitate the girl child’s education by raising funds,” informed Jasmeet.
The funds will proceed to Udbhav School in Fatehabad, Hyderabad that provides education to girls. Shanta Vallury Gandhi, Head – HR, CSR and Internal Branding, RBL Bank, and Harish Kumar, Correspondent, Udbhav RBL School (beneficiary) run by IIM Ahmedabad Alumni Association Hyderabad Chapter Charitable Trust (IIMAAA HCCT) shared that the school was being run in partnership for the purpose of providing equal opportunity to every child. “The sixth edition of UMEED 1000 Cyclothon is a testimony of our commitment towards the mission of girl child education. We applaud the cyclists, who have tested their endurance and overcome challenges to raise funds for the students and help them lead their lives with freedom, dignity and equality.”
Harish Kumar, Correspondent, Udbhav RBL School (beneficiary) run by IIM Ahmedabad Alumni Association Hyderabad Chapter Charitable Trust (IIMAAA HCCT), said the purpose of the partnership and initiative was to provide every child with the same opportunity that they got when they were young.
