Bharulata Kamble loves to drive. The longer the distance, the greater her interest. Kamble, of British-Indian origin recently went on a road trip that created history. She became the first woman in the world to go on a solo expedition of the Arctic Circle, covering a stretch of 2,792km in four days.
After Kamble completed her schooling, she continued her higher education as a part-time and external student while working full time. She qualified from The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, UK and became an associate member of The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives. She went on to study Law at the University of London.
Making use of her entrepreneurial abilities, she launched Devharsh Productions for documentaries and films. Her documentaries include “ Lonar Lake”, “Where the star fell to earth”, “Savitribai Phule”, “Dave ‘O’”, “My Ganesha, Baba Shivaji”, “The Bridge”, “Janjira” and “ 360 degrees”.
An advocate of equality and human rights, she is also a founder and president of Social Amity Foundation for Equality (SAFE) which aims at making a difference in the lives of those in need. She uses her personal funds to provide support to the needy and fights social injustice.
For the girl child
Kamble’s solo expedition is part of a 32-country transcontinental drive from the UK to India, which she calls the ‘Gift of Life’ drive. The objective of this expedition is to spread the message of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao , an initiative by the Indian government. The campaign also aims to raise funds for the unprivileged. “I am doing this to raise funds for the provision of medical care for the poor and underprivileged in rural India. This drive also supports the cause ‘save the girl child’, and ‘women empowerment and education’ in India,” she said.
She began her journey from Luton, U.K. on July 16. Kamble entered the Arctic Circle on September 23 at Rovaneimi, Finland. She drove 700 km a day for the next four days to set a record of a 2,792 km drive combating the cold and barren landscape. She also managed to get permission to go up to the 307-metre-high Nordkapp cliff, the northernmost point in the Arctic Circle region, where she unfurled the Tricolour.
In an interview she says, “The drive was scary for a variety of reasons, including being the only driver on certain patches of the road. Most of the time, the road had a high cliff on one side and a steep drop to the Arctic Ocean on the other. It was dark and chilly.”
What is amazing about Kamble is that she is a survivor of a major road accident. She was not cowed down by the multiple injuries and severe post-traumatic disorder she suffered. She worked on building her confidence and getting back on track.
