It was a historic milestone in the trail towards south Asian solidarity as the SAARC Car rally, conceived by the Indian Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh, completed its final motoring lap in Sri Lanka on 12th of April, 2007.

The Rally, carrying the theme ‘Connecting people and strengthening ties’ was organized by the SAARC Secretariat, India’s Ministry of External Affairs and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). It was supported and promoted by all the other host nations.

The rally, comprising 28 vehicles, flagged off from Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh on 15th March had reached the Sri Lankan capital after covering about 8000 kilometers in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, India and Pakistan .

Traditional Sri Lankan dances and drum beats displayed the festive mood as Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Mr.Ratnasiri Wickremanayake flagged off the rally on 10tth April at the Galle Road, overlooking the scenic Galle face greens and the Indian Ocean. Among the dignitaries present were Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Mr.Rohitha Bogollagama and India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Mr.Alok Prasad.

On the first day the rally 103 participants drove through the south-western coast line of Sri Lanka to cover about 200 kilometers before halting at Tissamaharama. It traversed through the port city of Galle, known for its 17th century Dutch Fort, Hambantotta, identified with its wind mills and salt lakes and the temple town of Kataragama.

The rally was received with traditional Sri Lankan music and Kandyan dance as it reached the historic fort at Galle. Rhythm and rituals of Sri Lankan life were showcased at its best as the rally participants were received atop the fort. While the traditional craftsmen at work demonstrated the finesse of Sri Lankan life, masked dancers with their vibrant colours and cadence carried away the onlookers to an infinite realm of fantasy.

The stop over at Kataragama temple gave a vivid insight to the religious and cultural synthesis of Sri Lanka. The temple complex houses an ancient Hindu Kovil dedicated to Lord Karthigeya and a Buddhist Devalaya. While the rally members sat with the Monks to partake in pirith noola ceremony at Buddhist devalaya they attended traditional deeparaadhana at the temple of lord Karthigeya.

The rally entered a new phase on the second day of its odyssey as it passed through the hilly terrains thus taking the participants through the myriad diversities of the island nation. It passed through Nuwara Eliya, known as ‘Little England’ of Sri Lanka, located about 2000 meters above sea level. Lush green tea plantations, cascading waterfalls and the quite serenity of the ambience along the 160 kilometer drive were a memorable one.

By evening the rally reached the temple town of Kandy, known for the shrine of tooth relic of Lord Buddha - one among the holiest places of worship for Buddhists. The monks chanted prayers and showered blessings as the rally participants were led to the temple, also known as Dalada Maligawa.

It was a journey through times on the final day. The rally traversed through Anuradhapura, the ancient capital of Sri Lanka. The high point of the participants’ tryst with Anuradhapura was a visit to Sri Mahabodhi temple which is known for its revered Bodhi tree, considered the oldest surviving historical tree in the world. Mahabodhi tree is known to have been grown out of a branch of Maha Bodhi at Bodh Gaya in India of which a sapling was brought to Anuradhapura by Princess Sanghamitta, daughter of Emperor Ashoka.

The rally completed its nearly 1000 kilometers of rendezvous with Sri Lanka as it returned to Colombo by the evening of 12th. The participants next day left for Maldives for a symbolic rally at capital Male.

For each and everyone one involved with the rally ‘it was a life time experience’. For Ms.Nazzia Shafiq Momina from Karachi, Pakistan it gave an amazing opportunity to meet with people, strengthen the friendship and develop new relationship. She recalled the Indian leg of the rally ‘a great experience’. ‘Throughout our journey, Indians showered love and affection’, she said. Ms.Momina recollected an incident in Mumbai where an emotionally chocked man walked in to their car and said ’please convey our love to our brothers and sisters in Pakistan’.

Col.K.S.Chauhan, the leader of the Indian team said that it was a great feeling to have been a part of the SAARC Car Rally. It has brought all the counties and the people of the region together. ‘The SAARC region has 22% of the global population…and if we stay together all stand to benefit’, he added.

‘People and places that we had seen during the past one month were amazing… this was a life time experience’, said Mohamood Sajjad, theatre, TV artiste and a veteran Radio anchor from Bangladesh. Mr.Sajjad, who was the leader of the team from his country added that ‘the rally, the brain child of Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was a great idea aimed at better understanding between the countries in the region’.

For Mr.Nedup Tshering from Bhutan the rally was ‘an exhilarating experience’. There are so many differences in culture in the SAARC region. But as we moved on, we realized that the similarities are much more than the differences’, he said. Mr. Tshering was happy that the rally offered an opportunity to the other members to get the correct picture of what Bhutan is at present. ‘Many of the participants did not have clear idea about our country before the rally’, he added.

“Very exciting, adventurous and educative’ – this was how M.Rashid, leader of Maldivian team commented on rally.’ The very fact that all the SAARC countries agreed to participate in such a novel programme itself was a great thing’, he said. “we saw wide variety of people under different living conditions… It has made me a better human being, Mr.Rashid added.

Mr.Ajay Khanna of CII said that the rally that was set out for ‘connecting and lonking the people’ have achieved much more than that. It was a ‘living road show’ by moving from cities to villages, meeting people, visiting places and understanding. ‘It was a tremendous brand-building exercise for the SAARC,’ he added.

Ms.Renuka Kripalani of India observed that the venture was a ‘big step’ towards building bridges across the SAARC nations. ‘The team members are going to go back to their countries with lot of messages that have been assimilated during the past one month. We have taken the first step towards building the gaps between the SAARC countries…and are determined to carry the spirit forward’, Ms.Kripalani added.

‘As a Sri Lankan we have learnt a lot’. This is how Mr.Richard De Zoysa, leader of the Sri Lankan team commented. ’ I was very impressed with Bhutan …universal English education in that country has put the Bhutanese on a solid foundation to embrace the world…Sri Lanka could take a lesson or two from them ’, Mr. Zoysa added.

From Bangladesh there was a husband-wife duo of Tony and Priya Dias in the rally team. They were Mr. Tony Dias an award wining film and Television artiste and Ms. Priya a reputed dance choreographer besides being a well known film actress. ‘We joined the rally in an effort to make SAARC movement popular in our country’, Ms.Priya said. ‘Traveling for a month with 103 members as a single entity,covering nearly 9000 kilometers across seven countries….it was an experience that I will ever cherish’, she added.

Mr. M.A.Fuad from Bangladesh truly reflected the determination of the participants who criss crossed seven countries for the SAARC cause. He was rendered incapable of walking following an accident a couple of days before the rally took off from Coxe’s Bazaar. Undeterred, Mr.Fuad joined the team at New Delhi on a wheel chair and he did so till it ended. He said that the mood and the moment while crossing of Wagah border to enter Pakistan was an experience of life-time. ‘The way the Indians bid adieu and the way we were greeted at the other side was something memorable’, he said’. There was nothing artificial…the feelings were flowing from the hearts of the people…that was the best part of the rally’, Fuad added.

Commenting on the successful completion of the rally, India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Mr.Alok Prasad said that the event, initiated by Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh, ‘underlines in many ways the kind of directions in which we hope SAARC will take towards greater people to people contacts, physical connectivity and connectivity of ideas and of knowledge…. ‘The rally symbolizes all these’, the High Commissioner added during an exclusive interview given to Prasar Bharati. ‘The rally encapsulated many things ...the cultural similarities, common heritage, shared history and ideas’. The Rally has given a modern dimension to all these links that the countries share with each other’, Mr.Alok Prasad said.

It is hoped that this ‘modern dimension’ given by the month long rally will help the SAARC movement to forge ahead further on the road to greater Asian solidarity.