Citizens must extend support

The two ambitious drives, one to enforce road traffic rules and the other against the use of polythene bags, are currently on in Doon. While the officialdom needs to be acclaimed for their sincere efforts, though belated, it is the citizens who ought to support and adopt what is, ultimately, beneficial for all. But is this really happening?

There is a noticeable improvement in the city’s traffic since the ­present SSP initiated the campaign against law violators and rash drivers.  This has been possible only because a large number of police personnel are now posted at all traffic signals, major crossings as also better patrolling. It is observed that anarchy is back on the streets once the constabularies finish their duty for the day or are deployed elsewhere. While those following the rules are large in number, a handful of culprits spoil it for others besides putting all road users at a risk. A vast majority of these wrongdoers are men.

The crusade against polythene bags is interesting.  These bags first made an appearance in the country towards the end of the seventies and by the mid-eighties they had chocked the drainage systems of all our major cities, Dehra Dun included. It has, however, taken another three decades for our government agencies to launch a frontal attack on the menace here, earlier campaigns by Nagar Nigam and voluntary organizations notwithstanding. After official teams started issuing challans  and collecting fines from shopkeepers and customers, there has been a sharp decline in the use of such bags. While most shoppers, particularly women, have started carrying cloth or jute bags; and big shopkeepers have also changed over to paper bags; it is observed that it is business as usual for most vegetable and street hawkers the moment the raiding team turns its back, be it Karanpur, D.L. Road, Hanuman chowk or any other bazar.

Clearly, we Indians in general and males in particular are not willing to follow simple rules which should to come naturally to any populace that calls itself civilized. To make us obey a functioning traffic signal it has to be manned by a couple of cops. The city police have to be out in full strength to prevent us from behaving like cattle on the streets. City Magistrate has to be personally present to prevent us from using plastic bags which have been banned for our own good. The entire powers that be have to be mobilized to make us fall in line for the tiniest of the jobs.  And all this is happening in the heart of the capital of the second most literate state of our country!

That we are a nation of law-breakers is a sad commentary on us as inhabitants of one of the oldest civilizations in the world. Besides the family, a country’s social and educational systems have the duty to groom its children into virtuous, disciplined and compassionate future citizens. 

Ours obviously have some serious flaws which need to be identified and rectified urgently so that these are better equipped to discharge their responsibilities. Otherwise we will continue to demonstrate to ourselves and to the world that we are one big nation of unruly people.

Hopefully, the residents of Doon will continue to follow traffic rules and shun polythene bags even after the two drives are over.

(Published in Garhwal Post on 19/02/2013)