Raahgiri Day€¦ · Raahgiri Day is India’s first sustained car-free citizen initiative that began in Gurgaon on Nov 17, 2013. The movement was conceived and is trademarked with

Raahgiri Day

Apni Rahen, Apni Azaadi

(CONNAUGHT PLACE, JULY 2015)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This report is based on research conducted by EMBARQ India for Raahgiri

Day Connaught place. We would like to extend our gratitude to Raahgiri

Foundation, the Authorities involved and all participants in making it a huge

success.

We thank our partners, various citizen groups and media partners for covering

the event at Connaught Place, New Delhi, and disseminating the information

amongst the masses.

We would also like to thank the team from EMBARQ India, comprising of Amit

Bhatt, Sarika Panda Bhatt, Kanika Jindal, Nanda Karpurapu, Anannya Das,

Souhardhya Chakraborty & Ritu Singh (Intern), for putting in an effort in

contributing to the study undertaken.

Last but not the least, we also thank Ram Singh for supplying us with an

endless stream of coffee, tea & refreshments, and providing us with the

vigour to go about the task.

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INDEX

RAAHGIRI TURNS ‘1’ IN CONNAUGHT PLACE ......................................................... 1

ABOUT RAAHGIRI DAY ............................................................................................. 2

WHAT IS RAAHGIRI DAY? ......................................................................................... 2

WHY RAAHGIRI DAY? ............................................................................................... 2

OBJECTIVES OF RAAHGIRI DAY ............................................................................... 3

5 KEY VALUES OF RAAHGIRI DAY ............................................................................ 4

PURPOSE OF RAAHGIRI DAY .................................................................................... 6

PROBLEM TARGETED ................................................................................................. 6

CHALLENGES AND IDEA CONCEPTION ................................................................... 6

IMPACT OF RAAHGIRI DAY ...................................................................................... 8

PROMOTING NON-MOTORIZED TRANSPORT USAGE IN DELHI ............................... 9

ECONOMIC IMPACT ............................................................................................... 10

PEDESTRIANIZING THE INNER CIRCLE OF CONNAUGHT PLACE ........................... 11

COMMUNITY BUILDING .......................................................................................... 12

PROMOTING INCLUSIVENESS ................................................................................. 14

EXTENSIVE MEDIA COVERAGE ............................................................................... 16

PEOPLE BEHIND RAAHGIRI DAY CP ....................................................................... 19

RAAHGIRI FOUNDATION ........................................................................................ 23

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RAAHGIRI TURNS ‘1’ IN CONNAUGHT PLACE

Source: First Post

Raahgiri Day is India’s first sustained car-free citizen initiative that began in Gurgaon on Nov 17,

2013. The movement was conceived and is trademarked with the Raahgiri Foundation,

consisting of local inhabitants from five organizations – EMBARQ India, I Am Gurgaon,

Pedalyatri, Heritage School Gurgaon, Duplays Gurgaon.

It was not long thereafter that this weekly event - that closes streets to cars in the name of

sustainable and active transport – arrived in the world’s second largest city. The New Delhi

Municipal Council (NDMC) together with the New Delhi Police Department took the lead in

hosting car-free Sundays in the inner circle of New Delhi’s Connaught Place each week,

beginning 13th July 2014. Seven key people from Delhi Police and NDMC – Ms. Meenakshi

Lekhi, Member of Parliament, New Delhi Constituency; Dr. Muktesh Chander, Special

Commissioner, Delhi Police; Mr. Anil Shukla, Joint Commissioner, Delhi Police; Sh. Jalaj

Shrivastava, Former Chairman, NDMC; Mr. OP Mishra, Former Director Projects, NDMC; Ms.

Shabnam Kundra, Deputy Director, NDMC; and Mr. Rohtas Singh, Nodal Officer, NDMC

brought this movement to Delhi as a pivotal move for sustainable urban mobility in Indian

cities. Expanding the movement from Gurgaon, population 800,000 people, to New Delhi,

population 22 million, was definitely a huge leap, one that reminded us that reorienting cities

around people – not cars – is achievable.

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Other partners who support Raahgiri Day, Connaught Place include the Raahgiri

Foundation, EMBARQ India, Times of India, Hindustan Times and Reebok.

On 12th July 2015, the movement will complete one year in

Connaught Place. Moving from a turnout of 5000 people, on first

Raahgiri in Connaught Place, to 20,000 people today, and expanding to

Dwarka, Rohini & East Delhi, the movement has shown a tremendous

growth. This has also started New Delhi on an important path towards

combating air pollution and improving public health, and moved all of

India one step closer towards being an exemplar of sustainable urban

development for other emerging economies.

ABOUT RAAHGIRI DAY

WHAT IS RAAHGIRI DAY?

Raahgiri Day is a street event which provides

citizens with the opportunity to reclaim their

streets, connect with their community, celebrate

their city and therefore reclaim their lives. On the

day, one whole street in the city is cordoned off for

citizens, for 4-5 hours in the morning, to come

together in large numbers and use the street for

recreation that promotes health, well-being, fitness,

togetherness and joy. Children and adults are invited

to bike, skate, run and walk; to partake in community

leisure activities such as street games, street dancing;

and to learn yoga, aerobics and zumba. The recurring

event celebrates the fact that cities are meant for

people, not cars.

WHY RAAHGIRI DAY?

Raahgiri Day is modelled after “Cyclovia”, an event

that began in Bogotá, Colombia in 1976, which closed

Source: Raahgiri Day Facebook Page


Source: Times of India

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streets to cars and opened them for the exclusive use

of people. Today, up to 2 million Bogotá residents

from all walks of life still enjoy over 70 miles of car-

free streets every Sunday. This concept has gone on

to inspire several cities around the world, with 110

cities in the world currently celebrating such an

initiative.

In an effort to choose a more Indian name for the event that would resonate with the country’s

residents, the organizers selected Raahgiri – a term that brings two ideas together –

Raah – refers to a path or way, which has in it, a sense of self-discovery and transformation, a

journey towards a final goal.

Giri – comes from GandhiGiri, a colloquial adaptation of Mahatma Gandhi’s transformative

technique of non-violence, and talks about taking charge of our own lives.

Raahgiri Day is more than an event. It’s a milestone crafted to galvanize

the citizens to participate in a shared vision of an active, car-free lifestyle.

In our cities, where car use is on the rise, it is hoped that Raahgiri Day will

encourage people to ditch their cars, and promote physical activity by

influencing residents to get up, get out, and get moving.

OBJECTIVES OF RAAHGIRI DAY

These are the key objectives of the Raahgiri Day movement –

Road Safety: More than 1.4 lac people die in India annually due to road accidents, and

majority of them are pedestrians and cyclists as they are not respected on roads.

Air Pollution: As per WHO report, air pollution leads to more than 6.2 lac premature

deaths in India every year, and this problem in severe in cities and towns.

Physical Inactivity: The WHO report also estimates that physical inactivity leads to

more than 4.3 lac premature deaths in India every year, which is largely due to lifestyle

changes.


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Inclusive Development: Many urban areas are becoming very exclusive as there is no

formal mechanism for interaction between various cross sections of society. The

outcome of this social segregation is manifested social unrests which are detrimental to

our habitation.

The vision of Raahgiri Day is to encourage people to develop living streets

— streets that encourage pedestrians, cyclists and other NMT modes.

Streets are public assets but on most days are monopolised by cars, two-

wheelers, trucks, buses etc. On this day, predefined roads are blocked so

that people can regain ownership of the streets.

The end goal is to help build safer, happier, healthier and more

sustainable cities.

5 KEY VALUES OF RAAHGIRI DAY

Every Sunday for 4-5 hours in the morning, the organizers ensure that the 5 key values of the

movement are intact and the Raahgiri zone is left in a state such that –

1. EVERYONE IS INVITED

Everyone—and we mean everyone— from the young to the old and wise, from well-off

gated communities to villages of Delhi, from abled to differently abled, from all shapes and

sizes and from all levels of physical fitness. Raahgiri Day aims to promote a healthy lifestyle

and encourage the masses to get out and walk, bike, skate or dance for a few hours.

2. CREATE A SENSE OF WONDER

Activities along the route invite people to try new things, from Walking, Running, Cycling

and Skating to Nukkad natak, Singing, Yoga and Zumba. It’s a chance to engage in new

experiences or return to those we haven’t made time for since our early youth.



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3. HUMAN-POWERED AMUSEMENT

All activities are human-powered. In a world filled

with video-games, augmented reality and unlimited

digital screens, it’s important to return to the simple

life every now and then. Raahgiri Day celebrates old-

times entertainment, such as biking, roller blading,

skateboarding, dancing and even finger-painting.

4. PARTICIPATE IN BETTER HEALTH

This event is certainly not all about biking. Attendees are encouraged to participate in

healthy activities of all kinds, from highly intense Zumba to pure street games or Yoga.

5. BUILD MOMENTUM FOR A HEALTHY

CHANGE

Help make our cities happier, healthier and more

sustainable by committing to the Raahgiri Day

movement. People are encouraged to pledge to walk,

bike, or roller-blade at every opportunity they get.

Source: Raahgiri Clicks Facebook Page


Source: Hindustan Times

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PURPOSE OF RAAHGIRI DAY

PROBLEM TARGETED

With 31% of India’s massive population currently living in cities, issues of access and equity are

quickly becoming priorities in urban planning strategies and practices. In India

Close to 1.4 lac people die annually on account of road traffic accidents. 20% of those

die in our cites & towns, & in many cities as high as 70% of them are pedestrians and

cyclists

As per WHO data, over 6 lac people annually die on account of air pollution, &

transportation accounts for 70% of these pollutants in some of our cities

About 4 lac people die annually on account of physical inactivity, because of car-

oriented and sedentary lifestyle

New Delhi already houses 22 million people within its metropolitan region,

and this number is growing annually at a rate of 4.6%. This rapid

population increase combined with shifting consumption patterns and

increasing infrastructure development, have created more congested roads

and compromised public spaces. Delhi is fighting air pollution that is worse

than Beijing’s while simultaneously finding that less than 5% of women feel

safe in the city’s public spaces. Leaders have been actively searching for

innovative ways to show its residents that it is possible, with public

support, to make the megacity more liveable.

With Raahgiri Day, it seems to have found an answer.

CHALLENGES AND IDEA CONCEPTION

The process of creating local buy-in at Connaught Place was markedly different than the

approach organizers took in Raahgiri’s founding city of Gurgaon. Unlike in Gurgaon, the

pedestrianization of Connaught Place has been on the minds of city leaders over the past 20

years, each time met with resistance from the Connaught Place Traders’ Association. Local

business owners believed that pedestrianization would decrease the number of shoppers in the

area and hurt their sales. Even when presented successful examples from cities like Seoul, South

Korea and New York City’s Times Square speaking to the benefits of pedestrianization for local

businesses, these were dismissed as not being suitable for the specific context of Indian cities.

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Organizers used a four-step approach to engage local traders and win their support. First, they

shared the impressive results from Gurgaon’s experiment with Raahgiri Day, with a focus on

how it has supported commerce. While 80% of business owners surveyed in Gurgaon were at

first sceptical of Raahgiri Day, four months later 79% were in favour. Second, Sundays were

chosen for Raahgiri Days to minimize interference with businesses, as most stores in Connaught

Place are closed on Sundays. On top of that, the event was promised to be held from 6 – 9 am,

when no stores are open. Finally, organizers assured traders that Raahgiri would be

implemented on a trial basis, and that no efforts at permanent pedestrianization would advance

without collecting feedback from all stakeholders in Connaught Place.



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Along with Dr. Muktesh Chander, Special Commissioner, Delhi Police; Mr.

OP Mishra, Former Director Projects, NDMC; Ms. Shabnam Kundra, Deputy

Director, NDMC; and Mr. Rohtas Singh, Nodal Officer, NDMC; Mr. SK Lohia,

former Joint Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development, Government of

India and Ms. Meenakshi Lekhi, Member of Parliament, New Delhi,

attended the inaugural Raahgiri Delhi, cycling with citizens and

celebrating the spread of the Raahgiri movement to their city.

IMPACT OF RAAHGIRI DAY

Since the first Raahgiri Day in Connaught Place Delhi, about 10,000 people participate every

Sunday in the event. The huge turnout at Raahgiri Day suggests that many residents no longer

want to rely on cars alone for their travel. Instead, they just want to enjoy their city’s simplest

daily pleasures: walking and cycling on accessible, pleasant, and safe streets.

It was observed that people from all walks of life joined in the fun at Raahgiri Day. The event

showed that when given access, individuals from different social groups will come together and

enjoy the public spaces. More importantly, Raahgiri Day is helping to emphasize the concept

that “Streets are for People” and not for motor vehicles. Some of the salient findings of a study

carried out by EMBARQ covering over 250 respondents and 30 Business establishments at

Raahgiri Day Connaught Place are presented in the subsequent sections.


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PROMOTING NON-MOTORIZED TRANSPORT

USAGE IN DELHI

“The biggest deterrent to using cycling as a mode of transportation in cities is the preference to

use personal motor vehicles due to varied reasons”, says Amit Bhatt, Strategy Head, EMBARQ

India. One of the interesting outcomes of Raahgiri Day is the increase in rate of bicycle sales in

Delhi, hence increasing the number of cyclists in the city. According to EMBARQ India’s survey,

66% respondents said that after experiencing cycling on Raahgiri Day, they now own a bicycle,

while a substantial 10% said they now cycle/walk to cover shorter distances like going to the

nearby market or park and 53% used a metro to reach the Raahgiri venue.


Source: EMBARQ Study 2015


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ECONOMIC IMPACT

The event has had a positive effect on local businesses. According to EMBARQ India’s survey,

62% of the shop owners either did not like or had no opinion about the concept of Raahgiri

before it began, and were worried that their sales would be impacted badly. However, 89% are

now in favour of the event, 83% said that they saw more footfall on Raahgiri Days as compared

to other Sundays, while 71% said that they did more business on Raahgiri Days as compared to

other days.

In fact 41% shopkeepers started opening their shops earlier on Raahgiri Days, and there was an

83% increase in footfall on Raahgiri Days as compared to other days.



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PEDESTRIANIZING THE INNER CIRCLE OF

CONNAUGHT PLACE

While 85% people supported the idea of pedestrianizing Inner circle, a fresh wave of thought

came from the shopkeepers association, 58% of whom now supported the idea of having

pedestrianizing it.

USERS SHOPKEEPERS

&

Do you support Connaught Place being pedestrianized?




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COMMUNITY BUILDING

Raahgiri promotes great level of interaction between various public agencies and citizens. Delhi

Police and NDMC along with the elected representatives have made a conscious effort to

connect with community at large including NGOs and civil society groups though Raahgiri Day.

Moreover, people who generally don’t interact with these public agencies, get to meet the senior

officials at Raahgiri Day. This also gives an opportunity to the Police to talk to general public,

exchange notes and win the trust of citizens. These informal interactions are invaluable for the

society. Because of the efforts of Delhi Police, the discourse around road safety in India, now

includes citizens, community and national media, which was earlier only confined to govt.

agencies and technical experts.

Not only this, according to the survey, 67% acknowledged that they came to Raahgiri with one

or more of their family members or friends. For a city like Delhi, which is dominated by

condominiums or huge segregated private properties, Raahgiri Day gives residents an

opportunity to meet and greet new people and has instilled a sense of belongingness amongst

them.

LET’S MAKE INNER CIRCLE FREE FROM MOTOR VEHICLES

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PROMOTING INCLUSIVENESS

Raahgiri Day witnesses a blend of people from well-off gated communities to villages of Delhi,

from young to old, from abled to differently abled. This event gives an opportunity to people

from all sections of society to together contribute to their city's transformation.

In order to celebrate diversity, by means of inclusion of our children and adults with disabilities,

an “Inclusive Raahgiri Day” was celebrated in Connaught Place, Delhi on 1st Feb, 2015. The

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment along with NDMC & Delhi Police celebrated this

special edition of Raahgiri Day. This event emphasized the fact that being differently abled

makes one no less than those born in the “best of health.



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EXTENSIVE MEDIA COVERAGE

In the last 1 year, Raahgiri Day in Connaught Place has been extensively covered by both print &

visual media.

Times of India & Hindustan Times have written impactful editorials about the Raahgiri Day, to

create a vision for the bigger picture of promoting non-motorized transport in Delhi and its

benefits. One of the biggest leap for the movement was the 1 hour dedicated coverage of CP

Raahgiri by Ravish Kumar at NDTV Prime Time, where he took an entire tour of the car-free

Sunday and showcased the various activities that the residents indulged in.

The full video of the coverage can be accessed here.

As evidenced by extensive media coverage, Raahgiri Day has become a landmark event that’s

succeeded in setting a social precedent not just for Delhi, but for India as a whole. With citizens

expressing demands that Raahgiri Day becomes a permanent event in Delhi, and that it should

be expanded to other cities, Raahgiri Day is building a powerful movement behind transport

and urban planning focused on people.

Here are a few glimpses of Raahgiri Day covered by print media.

http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/prime-time/prime-time-rahgiri-on-delhi-s-connaught-place/338773

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-12-09/gurgaon/44987744_1_gurgaon-s-galleria-market-navi-mumbai

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Source: Hindutan Times

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Source: Hindustan Times

Source: Times Of India

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PEOPLE BEHIND RAAHGIRI DAY CP

Raahgiri Day is essentially organized and hosted by the city administration – usually the

Municipal Corporation or the Development Authority in conjunction with the Police. In

Connaught Place, it is the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) along with Delhi Police.

However, Raahgiri Day itself is a partnership between various stakeholders including local

NGOs and RWAs, corporate houses, local schools, volunteers and media houses, who form a

team to successfully host Raahgiri at each location. In Connaught Place the partner

organizations include EMBARQ India, Times of India, Hindustan Times and Reebok. The

Raahgiri Foundation acts as an enabler and coordinator to ensure that the event is planned and

executed properly.

Ms. Meenakshi Lekhi, Member of Parliament, New Delhi Constituency

Ms. Meenakashi Lekhi is a Member of Parliament in the

Lok Sabha from New Delhi constituency. She is the

national spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party and a

lawyer at the Supreme Court of India. Meenakshi Lekhi

won the high profile New Delhi parliamentary

constituency with over 4.5 lakh votes as a BJP candidate

in the 2014 elections. Besides numerous articles in

journals, periodicals and newspapers on social issues, she

participates in various television shows on matters of

national and international importance. Here is what she

has to say about Raahgiri Day –

"On the first anniversary of Raahgiri Connaught Place, I would like to extend my heartiest congratulations to all those who have made this pioneering initiative successful. I genuinely feel that Delhi needs to be more cyclist-friendly. We are blinded by our misinformed beliefs which mandate that our social status is based on the car we own. What we miss out is that the ones who cycle regularly are perhaps healthier than those who are constantly stuck in their cars.

In fact, a Harvard study argues that cycling is one of the most environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable modes of transport. It is the preferred mode of transport even in countries with high car ownership and high per capita income. Cities like Copenhagen have been known as Cycling Cities since 1880, and still uphold that culture. Apart from bestowing a number of health benefits on the riders, cycling contributes greatly to a city. It decongests vehicular traffic, reduces pollution levels, and most importantly, does not require large surfaces to be earmarked for parking purposes.

Let’s promote ‘Raahgiri’, let’s promote space on the roads for cyclists. Let’s move towards a better,

healthier Delhi. Raahgiri will continue to bring Delhi alive every Sunday at Connaught Place’s

inner circle. Join us if you haven’t already and make this initiative successful every day for decades

to come."

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Dr. Muktesh Chander, Special Commissioner, Delhi Police

Dr. Muktesh Chander, IPS, currently the Special

Commissioner of Delhi Police, joined Indian Police

Service in 1988 and has remained posted to several

places including DIG Goa; Addl. Commissioner of Police,

Crime; Traffic Delhi; and IG Daman Diu. He has served as

Centre Director Cyber Division and National Critical

Information Infrastructure Protection Centre in NTRO

under Prime Ministers’ Office. He has been awarded

President’s Police Medal for meritorious service,

President’s Police Medal for distinguished service, Police

Medal for Hard Duty, UN Service Medal and 50th

Anniversary of Independence Medal.

Mr. Muktesh Chander also holds a law degree from Delhi University, Masters Degree in

Criminology & Forensic Science and a Ph.D. in Information Security Management from I.I.T.,

Delhi. Here is what he has to say about Raahgiri Day –

“With 1.4 lac people dying in India on account of road traffic accidents, road safety is an important

urban issue. I support Raahgiri Day because it is an event that promotes road safety and creates

awareness amongst residents to give priority to cyclist and pedestrians. Raahgiri promotes great

level of interaction between the Delhi Police and citizens, and it gives us an opportunity to educate

people about general road safety rules – like wearing seat belts and helmets while driving, or

stopping their vehicles before zebra crossings on red lights.

The Delhi Police will continue to support Raahgiri in Connaught Place and in other areas of Delhi. I

also urge the citizens of Delhi to leave behind their cars, at least on Sunday mornings, and come

out and celebrate human-powered entertainment, such as biking, walking, running, roller blading,

skateboarding, dancing and even painting.”

Sh. Jalaj Shrivastava, Former Chairman, New Delhi Municipal Council

IAS officer of 1984 batch UT cadre, Mr. Jalaj Shrivastava

is the former Chairman of New Delhi Municipal Council

(NDMC), and is currently the additional secretary in the

Union Agriculture Ministry. Srivastava had served Delhi

government as Tax Commissioner before he was

transferred to Andaman and Nicobar in 2011. He has a

B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Physics.

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Sh. Naresh Kumar, Chairman, New Delhi Municipal Council

IAS officer of 1987 batch UT cadre, Mr. Naresh Kumar is

currently the Chairman of New Delhi Municipal Council

(NDMC). Kumar has served in the Delhi Government, the

Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and in the ministry of

steel among other important departments. Prior to this,

Kumar was posted as joint secretary in Ministry of Mines.

A graduate in Mechanical Engineering and Masters in Business Administration and Financial

Management, he has previously worked as the chairman and managing director (CMD) of the

Delhi Transport Corporation and Delhi Khadi Village Industries Board, and as an additional

commissioner in the erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

Mr. OP Mishra, Additional Secretary at Govt. of NCT of Delhi

Mr. OP Mishra is currently the additional secretary at

Govt. of NCT of Delhi. Formerly he was the Director,

Projects at NDMC and was the brain behind bringing

Raahgiri to Connaught Place during his tenure. Here is

what he has to say about Raahgiri Day –

“We should not forget the real purpose of Raahgiri. It is

not the play and show, but a push for non-motorised

transport in the smart city of Delhi. I am sure that now

NDTA (Trader’s Association) will agree that the first

District Centre of the country has turned into the “Heart of

the City” because of vibrant Sunday mornings.”

Ms. Shabnam Kundra, Deputy Director, New Delhi Municipal Council

Ms. Shabnam Kundra is the Deputy Director at NDMC

and is one of the main co-ordinator at Raahgiri

Connaught Place. Here is what she has to say about

Raahgiri Day –

“I support Raahgiri Day because it encourages people to

develop living streets, to leave behind their cars for a few

hours and enjoy the daily pleasures that a city has to offer –

walking & cycling. It provides a safe environment for

http://punjabupdate.com/tag/municipal-corporation

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everyone to come forward and participate — from the young to the old and wise, from well-off

gated communities to villages of Delhi, from abled to differently abled, from all shapes and sizes

and from all levels of physical fitness. The sheer number of people who wake up early in the

morning to be a part of the initiative and the smiles on their faces keeps our team going.”

Mr. Rohtas Singh, Nodal Officer, New Delhi Municipal Council

Mr. Rohtas Singh is the Nodal Officer at NDMC and is one of the

main coordinator at Raahgiri Connaught Place. Here is what he

has to say about Raahgiri Day –

“Raahgiri Day encourages people to come out of their houses and

participate in various activities like yoga, zumba, cycling, skating

and many others. With no fear of being hit by vehicles or being

caught up in traffic jams or pollution, hundreds of citizens feel a

new sense of freedom occupying the inner circle of Connaught

Place for most part of the morning.

In a developing country like ours, people have forgotten to ride cycles in the present automated

world. It is such a refreshing change to see so many cyclists at Raahgiri Day. This movement makes

people reassert their right over city roads.”

Mr. Amit Bhatt, Strategy Head – Urban Transport, EMBARQ India

Amit is the Strategy Head – Urban Transport at EMBARQ

India. He is based in Delhi and provides vision and

leadership to all transport initiatives across EMBARQ

India, managing relationships with partners and

stakeholders. Amit leads the work around BRT projects

and city bus services in Surat, Indore, Jaipur and

Bangalore; urban transport projects in Naya Raipur;

restructuring the auto-rickshaw sector in Rajkot; and

developing a public bicycling scheme in Jaipur.

He has a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and a Master’s degree in Transport Planning from

the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi. Here is what he has to say about Raahgiri

Day –

“Raahgiri is a proof of concept that streets are public spaces and if designed well, the streets can

catalyse an urban transformation in the city. Raahgiri Day has transformed the mornings of

Connaught Place areas. What used to be dead space on Sunday has now become the most vibrant

space and time of the week. It’s now time that authorities start making Raahgiri 24x7 by

pedestrianizing the inner circle; a long pending initiative.”

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RAAHGIRI FOUNDATION

Dhruv Swamini, Trustee Raahgiri Foundation & Co-founder, Duplays Gurgaon

Dhruv is the one of the founders of the India chapter of DUPLAYS

(a UAE-based company) that strives to build a culture for

recreational sports in Gurgaon. Dhruv hails from Chandausi (a

small town in UP), and completed her engineering degree in

Computer Science and Engineering from IIT Delhi followed by an

MBA from INSEAD. A former consultant with McKinsey, Dhruv is

passionate about her new venture. Here is what she has to say

about Raahgiri Day –

“It brings me immense pleasure and pride as Raahgiri completes 1 year in Delhi (and 1.5 years

since its start in Gurgaon). We began this initiative with some doubts - we knew that it was a

fantastic concept but were unsure whether people will wake up early on Sundays to walk/cycle

and if residents & businesses will accept their nearby streets being closed to cars. The enthusiastic

turnout and participation at Raahgiri over last 18 months has left no such doubts!

Now that people are cycling on Sunday mornings, we look forward to the next wave of change –

people to use more of non-motorized and public transport, than private vehicles, in their day-to-

day lives. As with Raahgiri, it will not be an easy change, but with the help of administration and

conscientious citizens, we know that it can and shall happen.”

Prabhat Agarwal, Trustee Raahgiri Foundation & Co - founder, Pedalyatri

Prabhat is the co-founder of a recreational cycling group in

Gurgaon – Pedalyatri. He is also founder and coach at Aravali

Scholars, an initiative where underprivileged students from class

8-12 are offered free coaching/mentoring to clear competitive

exams and get admission into professional colleges. He is also the

founder and the driving force behind Janta Meals. He has been a

serial entrepreneur and co-founded Parsec Technologies Ltd in

1993.

A graduate from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), New Delhi Prabhat received his

Master's in Business Management from the best known business schools of India, The Indian

Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. Here is what he has to say about Raahgiri Day –

"Raahgiri Day was initiated with the prime aim to promote non-motorised transport. We also

wanted to create inclusive public spaces where all cross sections of society could mingle and enjoy.

Though Raahgiri Day is now held at multiple locations countrywide - Connaught Place has a

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special symbolic value. The huge crowd that turns up at Connaught Place and elsewhere

every Sunday, shows that we have been successful in our endeavour."

Latika Thukral, Trustee Raahgiri Foundation & Co-founder, I Am Gurgaon

Latika is co-founder of 'Iamgurgaon', an NGO which was started

in 2008. Prior to that, she had been working with Citibank for 18

years and quit her job to pursue her dream of setting up an NGO

to contribute to the betterment of Gurgaon, her home for the last

19 years. 'Iamgurgaon' is a movement that is attempting to create

a platform to enable citizens of Gurgaon to work towards

improving every aspect of life in the Millennium City. Here is

what she has to say about Raahgiri Day –

“Raahgiri has different meanings for people – for me it is sensitising people about road safety. It

has given a strong message of the need to create community spaces and has brought people from

all walks of life together. Each one has their own reason of being a part of the excitement.

To me, Raahgiri has given back my child hood memories of cycling which I had lost due to the fear

of going on the road. Today, I move around the city on my cycle. Raahgiri in Connaught Place is

even more special than any other place, as we have spent our growing years walking around in this

area.”

Jasbir Singh, Trustee Raahgiri Foundation & Co-founder, Pedalyatri

Jasbir is the co-founder of a recreational cycling group in

Gurgaon – Pedalyatri. He is also the co-founder and

managing partner at Jam & Ketchup. In the past, he has

worked with Emami Ltd. as a Sr. Brand Associate (global

businesses) where he worked on brand development,

website traffic growth, developed brand strategy and

statistics systems. His work here involved an exciting mix

of brand management and design development. Here is

what he has to say about Raahgiri Day –

“Bicyclists are besides us, behind us and before us. Pedaling side by side, my daughters - Sharanand

and Shireen, and I are part of wave after wave of cyclists that take up the entire 4 km stretch of the

main downtown roads in Gurgaon. That is Raahgiri.

To me Raahgiri is a sweet rebellion to demonstrate to the civic agencies / authorities that when

roads are made safe for walkers and cyclists, non-motorised transport is encouraged which in turn

takes the stress off from everyday traffic that we face.

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The Raahgiri does more than an afternoon of no-fear riding; it also brings together all types of

people to share the roads.”

Manas Fuloria, Trustee Raahgiri Foundation & CEO, Nagarro Softwares

Manas plays the CEO role at Nagarro and is also a member of the

Executive Board of Nagarro’s parent company, Allgeier SE. Manas

has a background in technology and operations management

with PhD and B.Tech. degrees in the subject from the Indian

Institute of Technology, Delhi, and an MSE degree from Stanford

University. He has worked as a researcher with the Harvard

Business School’s Technology and Operations Management

group, and has advised Fortune 500 companies on operations

strategy. Here is what he has to say about Raahgiri Day –

“Experiential learning is the best form of learning - so the experts say. Raahgiri proves this! By

gently reconnecting people to their streets and to their community, Raahgiri has sensitised them to

pedestrian and cyclist rights, road safety, public transport and air pollution. There is now a public

discussion and debate about these topics amongst the general public which scarcely existed earlier.

Even the mainstream newspapers have changed their tone and point of view and have gone from

pandering to car-oriented mind sets to enthusiastically promoting new-age thinking about urban

transport. A lot more needs to be done to make us all more aware of the consequences of our

transport choices, but Raahgiri has been a great first step.”

Rajesh Kalra, Trustee Raahgiri Foundation & Co-founder, Pedalyatri

Rajesh is the co-founder of a recreational cycling group in

Gurgaon – Pedalyatri and is also the Editorial Head of TOI Digital.

He had earlier served at the Editor of Times Interactive in 1999,

and had also worked as a journalist with The Times of India &

Business Standard print editions. He had also served as the

Assistant Editor at Cyber Media, Dataquest & PC Quest between

1987-1991. A journalist for two decades, he has written on

several subjects, and has a weakness for IT and

telecommunications. He is an avid sportsman, a trained high-

altitude mountaineer, a passionate mountain biker and a

marathoner. Here is what he has to say about Raahgiri Day –

“In this country, even to think about walking and playing and cycling on streets that see nothing

but smoke belching vehicles in thousands, all the time was utopian. Raahgiri has changed that, and

how! The challenge is to make it a national mission, a mission that would see more switch to public

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transport or non-motorised transport. After the success of Raahgiri, it's a belief that no longer is

Utopian!”

Manit Jain, Trustee Raahgiri Foundation & Director, Heritage School

Manit is the founder and director of three heritage schools in Delhi and Gurgaon. Manit holds an

Ed.M from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a B.Com (Hons) from Hindu College,

Delhi University.

He has spearheaded the entire school transformation

project hands-on at the Heritage School, Gurgaon, and

possesses a deep understanding of what it takes to ignite,

manage and sustain change in schools from the

management perspective. Manit says, “It has now been

almost 15 years since we first conceptualized our dream

of The Heritage Schools. Today as I look back at this

journey, my heart is filled with satisfaction, gratitude and

a certain positive restlessness.”

Sarika Panda, Trustee Raahgiri Foundation & Manager – Cities & Transport,

EMBARQ India

Sarika is Manager, Cities and Transport with WRI India.

She is based in Delhi and coordinates various projects

and activities in the Delhi region. Sarika is leading the

Raahgiri Day movement in the Delhi region, which is

India’s first sustained car free day initiative. She is also

helping other cities to replicate this hugely successful

concept. Sarika has about 10 years of experience in the

field of urban development, transport and architecture.

She has a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and a

Master’s degree in Planning from the School of Planning

and Architecture, New Delhi. Here is what she has to say

about Raahgiri Day –

“Global examples, be it 7th avenue in Manhattan, New York or historic peninsula in Istanbul or any

similar initiative, have shown that a well done pedestrianization project not only has a positive

impact on users but also the local business. This is now validated in Indian context as Raahgiri Day

project in Connaught Place has had a strong positive impact on the local businesses.”

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A capture from the Cycle Rally participated by Team Raahgiri from Gurgaon Raahgiri Day location to

Connaught Place Raahgiri Day location

Thanking You

TEAM RAAHGIRI

Documents

Raahgiri Day€¦ · Raahgiri Day is India’s first sustained car-free citizen initiative that began in Gurgaon on Nov 17, 2013. The movement was conceived and is trademarked with