Every year, villages in Anupshahr tehsil of Bulandshahr district in Uttar Pradesh witness a unique event — a rural half-marathon. Thousands of girls and women, some even in saris, run through Anupshahr’s roads bathed in the early morning sun. The men, who were at one time gawkers, merrily join in solidarity with their womenfolk.
The residents of around 132 villages and surrounding areas look forward to this unusual event. It is organized by the Pardada Pardadi Educational Society (PPES) which runs schools for girls and skilling programmes for women in Anupshahr tehsil. This. . .