Amid protests in Darjeeling two runners walk 11 hours to regsiter for Mumbai Mar

As Gorkhaland agitation paralyses Darjeeling, two runners walk 11 hours to submit documents required for their registration for Mumbai's 2018 half marathon

Sevika Rai and Hemant Limbu

Runners Hemant Limbu and Sevika Rai exemplify the hardy stoicism of hill people. The duo walked for 11 hours on August 6 all the way to an office in Kalimpong, to hand over documents like their Aadhaar Card copy, a copy of their marathon certificates and their passport size pictures for their registration in the 21-km half-marathon category of the Tata Mumbai Marathon next year.

Sevika Rai running with senior runner Subarna Subba in the Kalimpong Half Marathon

The marathon, which will be held on January 21, 2018, opened registrations on August 8 for the coveted 21-km category, where running places get filled up in a day or even a few hours.

First time in Mumbai
Hemant and Sevika told mid-day, "This will be our first time running in Mumbai. We have qualified for the race because of our timings in the Kalimpong half marathon. We are so excited about travelling by train to Mumbai! It will be our first train travel as well."

While Hemant walked to Kalimpong from Basbotey, a remote village, Sevika started from her village of Rimbik to reach Kalimpong.

Walk with a whew!
The duo had gone to the Kalimpong office of non-profit Run for Roshni, which is housed in a medical store, owned by one Premika Rai, one of the founding members of the organisation.

"Registration for the 2018 Mumbai Half Marathon began on August 8. We had a hard time contacting our runners and collecting their documents. It took us more than a month to get through Hemant and Sevika by phone!" said Premika, adding that to their surprise, "Hemant and Sevika walked almost 11 hours and reached Kalimpong to hand over their documents."

All uphill
Charting their course, Premika said, "Hemant started from his home in Basbotey at 3:30 am and reached Rimbik at 4 am, from where Sevika joined him. They reached Lower Okharey at 6 am. They got a taxi for a few minutes to head to Jorethang in Sikkim. Again from Jorethang, they got a vehicle for a while towards Malli. From there, they started walking uphill to Kalimpong! They reached my shop, which functions as an office and meeting point for runners, at 2.30 pm." From Kalimpong, Premika took the documents to Siliguri. The runners' documents have been couriered to Procam International in Mumbai. The company has accepted six runners (three boys and three girls) from the Kalimpong half marathon, for the Mumbai Marathon.

Protest no bar
While the ongoing protests in Darjeeling made it hard for the runners to register, it failed to deter them. Say Hemant and Sevika over the phone, "The atmosphere is charged, no vehicles are allowed to ply." Roshni Rai of Run with Roshni said, "There are dozens of people on hunger strike to pressurize the government to create a Gorkhaland as India's 30th state. Schools have been closed in Darjeeling and Kalimpong since 57 days!"

Rai added, "They had to give the documents to our office in Kalimpong. There is an Internet ban in Darjeeling because of the Gorkhaland protests, life is paralyzed." However, come January 2018, and Mumbai will witness the tenacity of the Gorkhas who are ready to fire up the 21 km course.

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