Ride for Talcher – A 3800 KM Journey for Justice & Rights.
Debaranjan Samal,
Associate editor,Odishabarta
Talcher/New Delhi: In a unique show of protest and civic assertion, four members from Talcher undertook a 3,800-km motorcycle journey to New Delhi to press for the rights and development of the industrial town, submitting a 23-point memorandum to the President of India.
The group flagged off their “Ride for Talcher” campaign on February 4 from the Jagannath Temple, Talcher and traversed Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana before reaching the national capital on February 10.
On February 12, the delegation submitted their memorandum to Droupadi Murmu, urging constitutional intervention on issues ranging from environmental protection to animal welfare and implementation of pending government projects in Talcher.
Among the key demands were establishment of a 24-hour animal helpline, strict enforcement of environmental and animal protection laws, creation of a special police unit for elephant protection, and time-bound execution of welfare schemes in the coal belt region.
The activists also met Union minister and Talcher native Dharmendra Pradhan and submitted a separate memorandum. According to members of the delegation, the minister “patiently heard the concerns” and assured them of necessary follow-up action.
During their stay in the capital, the group reported an incident in which a bag containing vehicle registration papers, insurance documents, identity cards and Rs 27,000 in cash was left behind in a tempo near India Gate.
The bag was later returned intact by the driver and a local shopkeeper after they traced the owners, an episode the riders described as “restoring faith in humanity”.
The team returned to Talcher on February 18 without reporting any untoward incident during the cross-country ride.
“We have fulfilled our responsibility. Now we await implementation,” a member of the delegation said, expressing hope that authorities would act on the charter of demands.
The “Ride for Talcher” campaign has since drawn attention on social media, with supporters calling it a peaceful and determined appeal for regional justice.
