Asha Sinha
IPS OFFICER (RETD.) RANCHI, JHARKHAND
as Asha Thampan in Kottayam, Kerala, Asha Sinha joined the Indian Police Service (IPS) in 1982 serving the nation for 34 years. Asha Sinha created history by becoming the first lady officer to command a paramilitary force in India, as commandant, CISF, Mazagoan Docks, Mumbai. She also became the first female IPS officer to head the Intelligence Department in Special Branch and later Crime Investigation Department (CID) in the State of Jharkhand. As head of the State Intelligence Wing, Asha Sinha ensured that the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections of 2009 were incident-free despite Naxalite threats. In 2010, she was awarded the President’s Medal in recognition of her service. She strongly believes that in her profession gender isn’t of consequence. All that matters is an individual’s professionalism and commitment and that is what makes the difference.
The thing about spending extended periods of time in a car for days on end and clocking the kind of kilometres we had been over the course of this mammoth drive is that one gets to know the vehicle rather intimately. It’s second only to actually owning the car. But even as an owner, certain features might not evoke as much appreciation. The memory function that accompanies the XUV700’s electrically adjustable driver’s seat that allows users to save multiple seat profiles, for instance, made life on the road that much easier. Given the nature of our journey, there were regular driver swaps and instead of going through the mildly tedious process of adjusting the seat every single time someone else got behind the wheel, they could simply trigger their preferred seating position at the touch of a button. The XUV700 takes it a step further by saving the corresponding ORVM settings as well. Ranchi was where we were to meet the next driver of change, a roughly 14-hour drive from Siliguri. We chose to break the journey down into two days with an overnight stop in Deoghar, Jharkhand. The condition of the roads for the most part in Jharkhand ranged from passable to deplorable requiring immense focus dodging potholes and stray e-rickshaws as we drove through several busy towns and villages. The decision to stop overnight in Deoghar seemed more and more vital with every passing kilometre affording a much-needed break for the cars and crew after a strenuous test of driver skill and the XUV700’s suspension.
Mercifully, the Deoghar to Ranchi stretch served up far better tarmac albeit with several patches of road works and a massive religious procession slowing us down. Patratu Valley was a sight for sore eyes, more so for those of us who were deprived of the joys of driving in the mountains when in Siliguri. The tarmac was flawless, the scenery, breathtaking and the weather, perfect. It is hands down, one of the best stretches of road we’ve ever driven on.