As unique as they come

CHENNAI: “Two-wheeler rallies were adventures. You had to last and finish, not get lost,” reminisced Anita of a format that was immensely popular in the country in the 1980s and ’90s.

One half of the Nanjapas, a renowned rally pair that won a slew of National titles and major two-wheeler rallies across India, the former co-rider continued: “It was akin to going to battle, day or night, rain or shine. It could be scary at times, but great fun, and the next event you were raring to go.”

In the old days, rallying in India, both four and two-wheelers, were not the truncated events they are now. They were long and challenging, usually running overnight, involved competitive sections on roads and cumulative timing.

The iconic Karnataka 1000, for example, was originally designed to be spread over 1000 miles (1600 km) across cities, and hence the name. It tested both man and machine. And two-wheeler rallying, back then, involved a co-rider to navigate, with the tulip chart given just at the start adding to the challenge.

Anita, who heads the two-wheeler Rally and Rally Sprint Commission of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), stood out for two reasons: she formed a champion pair along with rider Jagat and was the only woman in Indian two-wheeler rallying at the time. “Hundred men and I,” she quipped.

The Karnataka 1000 was also where a part of the Nanjapas’ legend was formed when during the 1982 edition the pair from Coorg pressed on to complete the rally with Anita sitting on the petrol tank of the Yezdi motorcycle to take the weight off the punctured rear tyre.

A resident of Udhagamandalam, Anita distinctly remembers a Chikmagalur Rally which they won on a RX 100 motorcycle. “We had a flat and the spokes were literally coming off. In the end, I ran alongside the bike to the finish and we eventually won.”

Anita, who heads Sustainability and Environment in the FMSCI, capped a decorated two-decade-long motorsport career as a navigator in four-wheeler rallying, forming an all-women team with Navaz Bhathena for 20 rallies, and with Jagat for two runner-up finishes in the Indian National Rally Championship Group N 1400cc category in the early aughts.

A member of the Women’s Commission of both the FIM (global two-wheeler body) and the FMSCI, Anita says the sport has become more inclusive. “There is sufficient women participation to form a class in some disciplines. Manufacturers are encouraging girls to participate, as is the FMSCI and the global body,” she signed off.