Saarc car rally re-enters Asom

New Delhi, Mar 21 (UNI) The SAARC Car Rally today entered India at Hathisar in Asom after completing its first week with a flag off at Gelephu on the India-Bhutan border by the Governor of the Sarpang district of Bhutan.

The rallyists were given a warm welcome by the local administration in Asom, from where it proceeded to the Bongaigaon Refinery.

They reached Guwahati in the early afternoon for the first stop-over on the second India leg of its journey.

The Rally was flagged off at Thimphu yesterday by His Excellency Lynpo Khandu Wangchuk, Prime Minister of Bhutan.

The Prime Minister, while addressing the Rally participants, hundreds of schoolchildren and local residents, stressed on the importance of friendship, partnership and solidarity among the SAARC nations and that people-to-people contact was the best way to achieve this.

He exhorted the participating rallyists to not only enjoy the hospitality and welcome in each country, but also strive towards achieving the Rally objectives of promoting friendship, harmony, peace and trade among the SAARC countries, a PIB release said. En-route to the 280 km distance from Thimphu to Gelephu, the Rally halted at the Dochula viewpoint, where it was greeted by Chencho Tshering, Governor of Thimphu.

The monument at Dochula was built to commemorate the victory of the Bhutanese forces, led by the then King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, over Bodo and ULFA infiltrators in an operation to flush out the infiltrators in December 2003.

UNI