Kutch desert car rally by Kutch Infrastructure Development Society enthralls onlookers

Online, January 27, 2010 (Newswire.com) - The small village of Vekariya in Kutch District, Gujarat recently woke up, braving the early morning chill, to a lot of excitement in an otherwise quiet hinterland of Little Rann of Kutch. 120 people had come from far and near, including Mumbai, Surat , Rajkot etc., to participate in the second consecutive Kutch Desert Car Rally. The rally was organized by the Kutch Infrastructure Development Society (KIDS) with support from Department of Tourism, Gujarat state government and private co-sponsors Adani, Ankur, Excel, WIAA and Archean Group of Companies.

This initiative is a move towards tapping the vast potential of Kucth as a major destination in tourism and adventure sport. A beaming and enthusiastic Pushpadan Gadhvi, former MP of Kutch and advisor to KIDS, who is an authority on the history of Kucth, Kutchis and their culture etc.,passionately said, "Kutch is the second largest district of India and the area is larger than the state of Haryana. However, the miles of once fertile land strecth turned desolate after the 1819 earthquake, which shifted the course of the Sindhu River to Pakistan . It left Kutch high and dry and the people to fight for survival in the harsh climatic conditions in the aftermath of the natural calamity. Today, though Kutchis consititute only 3 per cent of the population of Gujarat , yet they are known as a very enterpisring people and admired for their fortitude." Gadhvi said, "It was the desire of Narendra Singh Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat that the local people especially the youth come forward with ideas, plan and organize events to highlight the ecological uniqueness of Kutch , build self reliance as well as instill confidence and bond the youth and the people in general." Stating that Kutch is the only district that has a Rann, the sea and hillocks in its topography, which can be utilized to the optimum for promoting tourism, he said,"We envisage to see this rally to grow to an international stature very soon," adding, "Today we have the opportunity to turn the curse of Kucth into a boon."

On the 25th evening, the participants were accorded a welcome by the organizing committee followed by a rally within the city as a precursor to the final event. Thereafter, the participants were briefed about the rules and regulations of the rally.

Expressing the prospects of tourism in Kutch, Kamlesh Bhai Patel, Chairman, Gujarat Tourism said, " Kutch has lots on its platter to showcase to the world. Infact, Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat spearheaded the move to highlight Kutch through the recently concluded Kutch Desert Festival-Rann Utsav followed by the "Chitan Shivir", where the state affairs were discussed threadbare. Modi's stay at Kutch for a couple of days drew attention of not only the media and people but the world too. Lauding the vision of Modi to bring Kutch on the international tourism map in a big way, Patel said, that the State Tourism Corporation lent support to KIDS by providing official backup in organizing the rally.

Welcoming the idea of tourism expansion in Kutch, Vassanbhai Ahir, Minister of State For Welfare of Socially & Educationally Backward Classes, Government of Gujarat, credited Narendra Modi of taking time out to be in Kutch . Stating that though Gujarat is a business oriented state, Kutch was lagging behind because of the formidale hurdles of climate and area. However, Kutch owed it to Modi, who wanted Gujarati NRIs and visitors to have all facilities during their visit, and so ensured that the district like all other parts of Gujarat has round-the-clock water and power supply and is backed with a good infra-structure network. These facilities have encouraged industries to establish their base here. While expressing gratitude to the internatonal and national support when the deadly earthquake struck Kutch destroying property and life, he said that it was the indomitable spirit of Kutchis that put them back on the road to prosperity as well as self realization of their worth. Vassanbhai said, "We are happy that the Kutch Desert Car Rally is taking place and would invite everybody's attention, showcasing to the world the natural beauty of the place and adventurous sports opportunities. We want Kutch to figure as an outstanding tourist destination internationally."

Ajay Gadhvi, President of KIDS flagged off the rally at 8 a.m. where 39 participants zoomed off across the rough terrain in a circular path covering 270 kms from Vekariya to Vekariya. The rally carried a cash prize of Rs 51, 000, Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 11,000 respectively for the first three winners. Participant No. 35, Akash Agarwal and Kamlesh Jain were the second runners up, participant No. 7 Rohit Soni and Gautam Budhbatti first runners up and participant No. 38 Jaydev Ayanchi and Dharmendra Sinh were the top winners of the rally. Ajay Gadhvi thanked the youth and all his team mates for putting up a spectacular rally and hoped that with every year the rally will grow to come on par with international standards. He expressed his happiness over the enthusiasm and interest the rally had generated amongst the youth and people of Kutch .

As the sun dipped in the horizon and the stars shone high in the sky, with fireworks in the background, an eventful day dwindled into the dark night with promises of a new day, another rally and plenty of excitement a year later.