In the past few days, we have seen all the beauty and travesty of the ‘traditional Delhi Winter’. Mercury dropping to near freezing temperatures and intermittent bouts of heavy fog; the city’s winter can get to the best of them if they are unprepared. And as we have seen across the city, many people are not simply because they cannot be. Over the course of one weekend, Delhi’s motorcycling community came together to do what it has been doing for some time: give back to society in meaningful ways.
As the Official Community Partner, xBhp joined hands for Ride for Underprivileged People 11.0, a winter relief initiative for those who need it the most. Swaran Jeet Singh, the admin of the Youth Riderz Club, was the man behind this initiative. And it is not the first time either, as he has been organising such community-driven rides since 2014.
The ride flagged off from the Hanuman Temple in Connaught Place, which has been used as a meeting point for riders across the city on multiple occasions. After a brief meet and greet between the riders, supplies were loaded, engines turned on, and the riders were ready to hit the streets. With the Road Marshalls Group leading from the front, a convoy of over 50 motorcycles moved out together. The group included riders from India Love the Ride, Bull Riders, Riding Raptors, along with members of the Youth Riderz Club and xBhp.
Our precious cargo this time wasn’t riding gear, motorcycling accessories, fuel or other things related to motorcycling. Our cargo this time was hundreds of heavy blankets and warm meals, meant for people who are usually cold and starving. Our chariot of choice was our new Mahindra BE6, the home to the precious cargo. It made sense too, as the induction of the BE6 in the xBhp Garage was marked by another one of our initiatives called One Percent Matters, where we used one percent of the cost of our BE6 to distribute footballs amongst underprivileged children.
Our first major stop was near AIIMS Hospital, where families of patients often camp outside for days, sometimes weeks. As soon as we started the distribution of blankets and food, the sounds of ‘usual’ conversations among riders were replaced by voices filled with gratitude and thankful words.
From there, the ride moved toward old age homes and several roadside locations where the city’s most vulnerable take shelter. Elderly residents, families under flyovers, individuals sleeping along pavements, these stops brought us closer to the plight of the people. The goal of this ride wasn’t a grand event or ceremony; it was simply to ensure that the harshness of the winter was at least a little more bearable for those enduring the worst of it.
We rode around the city and did our best to help as many people as we could throughout the night. The ride came to an end just as dawn approached. In cases like these, what matters is not the kilometres ridden or the people touched; it is all about the act itself. We take a lot of pride in the fact that the motorcycling community of India is mindful of the opportunities to do some good and give back to society. Moreover, we are proud to have been a part of this initiative where we did what we do best: make a difference whenever we can.
