- Title: INDIA: MOTOR RALLYING - Himalayan car rally starts in Bombay
- Date: 10th November 1981
- Summary: BOMBAY, INDIA (VISNEWS - PREM PRAKASH) SV Indian vice-president arriving at rally as people watch. (2 SHOTS) GV Cars being flagged away at start. (2 SHOTS) GV Car driving along dirt track after start GV Entrants in Bombay traffic. (3 SHOTS) GV Cars accelerating out of traffic. (2 SHOTS)
- Embargoed: 25th November 1981 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: India, India
- Country: India
- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVAEQXYDQK1586HS2ZCX4ZZ6LCMY
- Story Text: INTRODUCTION: Stone-throwing demonstrators have disturbed the Himalayan Car Rally which began on Sunday (8 November) in Bombay. At the start of the rally police used clubs to break-up a demonstration. And on Monday (9 November) two cars were stoned during the third leg of the 3,800 kilometres (2,400 miles) rally. The protests were staged by the opposition Lok Dal Party against what it called a waste of petrol.
SYNOPSIS: Security was tight in Bombay when vice-president Mohammad Hidayatullah arrived to flag away the 59 cars entered in the rally.
The first rally last year was disrupted and several cars damaged by opposition protestors. On Sunday demonstrators tried to stage a mock bullock race as the first cars drove off. But police quickly moved in and detained about 30 people. The rally was not affected and the protestors were later released.
However, more trouble was to come on Monday during the third stage from Rajasthan State to New Delhi. Stone-throwing demonstrators delayed the start of the stage. Two of the 53 cars left in the rally were hit by stones, but nobody was injured.
As the cars negotiated their way through Bombay traffic, ahead of them lay some of the world's roughest roads. Parts of the 3,800 kilometre (2,400 mile) route is through the Jalori Pass in the Himalayan Mountains. There the cars, some of which date back to the 1950s, must climb to a height of 3,140 metres (10,300 feet). The rally ends in New Delhi on Saturday (14 November). The 1980 winner Kenyan driver Shekhar Mehta is not competing this year.
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