M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, Feb 22: Incidents of road rage are rare in Palamu, but when it occurs, it gets either communal or caste biased.
SP Palamu Chandan Kumar Sinha speaking to lagatar24.com said, “Road rage is a phenomenon that needs to be handled with understanding. If a tilak-wearing man hits someone from another community in an area dominated by the other community, the life of the tilak-wearing man gets into jeopardy. Similarly, if a bearded man hits someone in a majority community area, he is set to be thrashed.”
“Road rage is made communal by anti-social elements and religious fanatics. Dress, appearances and looks are paramount to road rage,” SP added.
The Assistant Superintendent of Police cum Sub-divisional Police Officer Rishabha Garg said, “In January, an incident of road rage occurred in Palamu, where the bus driver, faculty members and the girl students of a private medical college were abused and mishandled by the occupants of a car.”
Garg further said the car was zig-zagging ahead of the bus carrying the driver, faculty members and female students, only to be bullied by the occupants of the car. Later, an FIR was lodged regarding the road rage case.
On February 21, SP Palamu and Palamu District Transport Officer Anwar Hussain reached the NH 75 and the town road as part of the mission `safe driving in observance of road safety measures’.
Sinha said, “I had to come over to the streets to further strengthen the traffic rules and make people aware of the need to save lives on the streets.”
On the growing incidents of stunts on bikes especially on roads leading to girls’ schools or colleges, SP said, “The adolescents do it. They find it an adventure which is not but an offence as such stunts on bikes put its riders and other people on the road at peril.”
Referring to an increase in stunts performed on bikes, especially on roads leading to girls’ schools and colleges, the SP said, “The adolescents are doing it. They find it an adventure. However, it is an offence as such stunts put its riders and other people on the road at peril.”
A young stuntman, under the condition of anonymity, said, “I watch TV programmes related to automobiles wherein expensive cars and bikes with attractive girls are shown either speeding or driving over rough and difficult terrain. Such shots are never scrapped from the TV ads as it has a negative impact on the minds of young people who try to recreate the same adventure with a girl sitting behind them, but here we have to face ‘challans’ for dangerous driving.”
The SP further said that the use of seat belts is out of practice in Palamu. People have very expensive cars here, but the use of seat belts is very notional. He also appealed to use seat belts.
As per information, India’s top business tycoon Cyrus Mistri who had died in a road crash, was found not wearing a seat belt around his waist and then the whole country looked racing for the use of seat belts but now seat belt is left used in 9 out of 10 driving by car in Palamu.
Moreover, SP also asked to wear helmets, no triple riding, and limit speed to save lives and said that such an awareness drive will continue.
