Sudarshan Bharat Parikrama: Black cat commandos all set to cruise on country roads [details]

Starting tomorrow, 47 chosen black cat commandos will cruise around 18 cities of 12 Indian states in 15 Tata Harrier cars for 28 days. Titled Sudarshan Bharat Parikrama, the event is organized as part of the Indian government's Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav program.

India's elite counter-terrorism force known as the National Security Guard (NSG) is acclaimed for its black cat commandos. Whether it is the 2016 Pathankot attack or the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the special force has proven its mettle time and again. To commemorate their efforts, connect with the Indian youth and instill a sense of patriotism, the Indian government has come up with a unique car rally across the nation, to be held in association with Tata Harrier.

The rally will begin tomorrow at Red Fort, Delhi and during its 7,500 km long journey, it will pass through important historical places such as Kakori Memorial (Lucknow), Bharat Mata Mandir (Varanasi), Netaji Bhawan Barrackpore (Kolkata), Swaraj Ashram (Bhubaneswar), Tilak Ghat (Chennai), Freedom Park (Bengaluru), Mani Bhawan / August Kranti Maidan (Mumbai) and Sabarmati Ashram (Ahmedabad) associated with the freedom movement of India.

A screenshot from the Sudarshan Bharat Parikrama promo videoYouTube

The event will see the participation of 47 select black cat commandos who will drive in 15 Tata Harrier (dark edition) cars and cover 18 cities in 12 states over the next 28 days.

Last week, Tata Motors official social media released a promo video of the event to celebrate the valiant heroes of the nation. While some users called it "next level advertising", others were excited to witness the rally in person. Another important point raised was of Northeast India missing out on the action.

"That's great, but wished that rally went through Northeast too. 7 states, none covered. :') We too want to experience this, please," wrote Satyajeet Bhuyan.

Royal Enfield and NSG

In October 2017, in a similar event, NSG commandos rode 8,000 km across the nation in Royal Enfield Classic 500 Stealth Black Limited Edition to raise awareness about the fight against terrorism.

The bikes used by the black cat commandos came with exclusive NSG Insignia and were later auctioned by Royal Enfield. The proceeds from the auction of the 15 bikes costing around 1.9 lacs each were reportedly donated to Prerna, a non-profit organization attached to NSG that works to rehabilitate and educate differently-abled as well as underprivileged children.

Harriers for NSG, cycles for CAPF

Earlier in August, the Central Armed Security Forces organized cycle rallies in different parts of the country to commemorate the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. The cycle rallies of CAPFs, which began on August 15 with around 900 cyclists, including officers and Jawans, passed through 21 states to cover a distance of about 41,000 km to reach Delhi.