Women's Day: 75 female CRPF bikers to ride over 1,800 kms into Naxal core

A team of 75 female bikers of the Central Reserve Police Force will embark on a 1,848 km-long expedition from Delhi to one of the most Maoist-affected areas of Chhattisgarh as part of the International Women's Day celebrations, officials said Tuesday.

The personnel drawn from the country's largest paramilitary force will be flagged off from the India Gate on March 9 and they will end their journey at Jagdalpur in south Bastar region of Chhattisgarh on March 25, they said.

The bikers will bear the message of "women's power as the country celebrates 75 years of Independence and will also mark the International Women's Day celebrations that are held every year on March 8."

The personnel will ride their official Enfield Bullets and will be flagged-in by Union Home minister Amit Shah at the CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) camp in Karanpur area of Jagdalpur, the district headquarter of Bastar, on March 25, officials said.

The CRPF has decided to hold its 84th Raising Day celebrations in Jagdalpur on March 25 with Shah being the chief guest. This is the first time the annual event is being held in a LWE affected area.

The event was supposed to be held on March 19 but it has now been postponed to March 25 due to "administrative requirements", officials said.

The CRPF had organised its 83rd anniversary event last year in Jammu after the government asked all paramilitary or CAPFs (Central Armed Police Forces) to hold these events outside the national capital.

The CRPF was raised in 1939 and the annual day of March 19 holds significance for the force as India's first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel presented the Presidential colours to it in 1950.

The country's largest CAPF with about 3.25 lakh personnel is designated as the lead national internal security force operating in three main domains of Left Wing Extremism, counter-insurgency operations in the Northeast and counter-terrorist operations in Jammu and Kashmir.