In the euphoria of promoting slogans like ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ and ‘Make in India’, this Government seems to have lost the sense of the reality staring at us which is totally different from what we try to project. These slogans do sound very good, but they are meaningless without sincere and dedicated efforts at improving the lot of the citizens and focusing on issues concerning the life, livelihood and poverty of the people. Hungry and dying people cannot be expected to chant patriotic slogans, when the country is seen to be doing precious little to alleviate their sufferings. Obviously, with our population increasing by leaps and bounds, the task of looking after over a billion people is not an easy one. Hence, population controls need to be exercised to provide the people with better standards of living. But, unfortunately, that can never be expected from our politicians, who thrive on the numbers and the poverty.
Recently someone sent me an interesting map of India, showing the population of various countries fitted in various States of India. I cannot vouch for its accuracy but many may feel elated that the population of so many countries can be contained in India, but surely, it is alarming too. When our population crossed a billion, during A.B. Vajpayee’s tenure as PM, he proclaimed it with immense pride, conveniently ignoring that India contributes to around 22% of world’s deaths of children under 5, that one in every 21 children die in India before reaching the age of 5 and that 50% of these deaths are due to malnutrition.
The statistics on road accidents are even more chilling: one person dies every four minutes on India’s roads. 20 children, under 14, die everyday in accidents. 5 people die everyday on Delhi roads and two every hour in UP 25% of road deaths are due to two-wheeler crashes. 137,000 people died in India in road accidents in 2013. In a small State like Goa, there are around 12 reported road accidents everyday and an average of one death per day. We are all aware that hundreds of road accidents in Goa go unreported, as they are mostly settled amicably or through dadagiri. Considering the hassles and difficulties generally created by Insurance Companies, which feel that their job is only to collect premium, people are constrained to opt for such methods, with sometimes the weaker having to shell out for no fault of theirs. After all, in this country, might is right.
These statistics being highly alarming ought to have made the authorities sit up and think, if at all they have any respect for human life or any sensitivity left in them. The solution lies in either improving the infrastructure, which the Government cannot always afford or putting curbs on the proliferation of vehicles, which the Government will not do as that will eat into their revenue. Increase in quantum of fines for traffic violations, which will be in force shortly may help a bit, but not much.
Some of the main causes of road accidents can be said to be reckless driving, careless overtaking, obstructionist parking, traffic congestion and drunken or inexperienced driving. Bowing to directives from the Supreme Court to reduce road accidents, the Government is presently on a drive against traffic violations, with great emphasis on crash helmets and seat belts, which surely can save lives, but not prevent accidents. What is actually needed is sincerity in achieving the goal and if this is to be done, reckless, drunken driving, risky overtaking and parking in turns need to be curbed with an iron hand. The PWD must pay special attention to speed breakers, which have already been the cause of deaths and spinal and head injuries, due to absence of paint to make them noticeable. Presently road markings are being done but speed breakers have remained unattended. Also most of them are not notified. This negligence is criminal, to say the least. I have often in the past advocated improvement in public transport, use of waterways and an extension of Konkan Railway line from Karmali to Panjim or Merces, to reduce the load on our congested and killer roads. The previous Congress Governments did very little to improve our road infrastructure and they were incapable of providing us even with a four lane road from Margao to Panjim.
Goa is lucky to have a new Director General of Police in Dr. Muktesh Chander, who is an expert in traffic management and has promised to put Goa’s traffic in order in a short while. The Government must give him a free hand to operate and disallow any interference. The traffic in Goa has become chaotic and drivers and riders unruly for the simple reason that the Police has found to be ineffective in curbing violations that cause and can cause accidents. Youngsters, who ride and drive recklessly, need to be tackled in their own and others’ interests, After all, parents who brought them up with such loving care cannot afford to lose them in avoidable accidents. The thrill of some cannot be the pain of others. Let us be sensitive to the feelings of others. We cannot ride or drive the way we want just because the punishment is just arrest and release on bail. I often wonder whether it is this lenient penalty that leads us to be careless on the roads. Else the scenario might have been different. Let us extend a helping hand to Dr. Chander in his task, which we must consider as humanitarian, for it will surely reduce much pain, sorrow and grief in our families.
(The author is a retired banker)
