Bamulahza! Hoshiar! driver is on his cell phone!
I have been hearing for the last more than half a century that magician Ching Fungley could drive a motorcycle in the busy city areas completely blindfolded. I thought he could do this only because of his magic power. But these days hundreds of such magicians are visible on the Indian roads. A family of six is often seen riding a scooter, with the driver using one hand on the steering and other on his ear with a mobile phone in his hand. Even cyclists, tonga-wallas, rickshaw-wallas on roads and pedestrians while crossing the road, keep on attending to the mobile calls, oblivious of the dangers and perils of such activity.
I remember a strange incident, which happened about 15 years back. My friend's son ,who was a engineering student, often indulged in odd behaviour. He was driving his car in the high security sector 39 govt residential colony ,where ministers and big bureaucrats lived. He was passing near the house of an additional director general of police, when he hit the stationary police vehicle, in which its driving was sitting. The driver of police vehicle sustained minor injuries. Before my friend's son could tell his identity, the security men pounced on him and gave him brutal beating. He was handed over to the nearby police station, where with great efforts, he was got released. It was later revealed that like James Bond, he would read a book, while driving his car. This was the cause of accident, which was helpful in bringing him to senses with minimum damage. If one goes on the roads in any Punjab city, nine out of ten car/jeep drivers will definitely be using mobile phones while driving ,even in the thick of mad traffic. A person ,who does any other work ,while driving is akin to a blind person. Should govt give driving licenses to the blind too?
For any person to get a driving license ,he has to be physically fit, which only a qualified doctor can certify. These days most of the drivers use only one hand while driving. Should the govt relax the fitness clause or enforce law more vigorously ? I narrate a incident here. My colleague ,who was a district transport officer. told me one day that a person who had only one hand that too with two missing fingers, applied for the driving license. He had also procured a fitness certificate for the purpose. My friend rejected his case twice. But that person told my friend to take his driving test in the most difficult area. My friend tried it and found out that the less- abled person drove the vehicle better than the able-bodied people. He wrote a long speaking order and granted him the license. However after about three months, when he was driving his vehicle near Simla, it met with an accident as he could not negotiate the sharp curve in time. My friend had to appear before claims tribunal for his dangerously innovative work and face harassment. He was of the opinion, after burning his fingers, that physical and even mental fitness was most essential for issue of a driving license.
During my tenure as district transport officer, I came across many drivers particularly truck drivers, who would keep five driving licenses with them. If one was impounded they would forget about it and start using the other one. These were called Lahori licences in lighter vein. The fear of law is totally missing as far as driving or following traffic law is concerned. Earlier the most dangerous aspect of driving was drunken driving, but the use of cell phone while driving has become more exponentially lethal. I spoke to one deputy commissioner and commissioner police to invoke section 144 Crpc to eliminate this menace. They were diffident about sustaining the effectiveness of such actions. In the year 2014,the govt loudly spoke about bringing about safe traffic/transport by legislating new act. Not a cat has stirred since then except the enhancement in composition fee of such offences. Indian roads must be made more safe.
Surinderjit Singh Sandhu, Amritsar
M. S. Bindra- passes away
A towering personality and exceptionally capable & bold IRS (Customs & Central Excise) officer of 1958 batch is no more. Held in high esteem for his 03 years (1980-83) tenure as Director of Enforcement, for transforming ED into a truly functional & effective Investigating agency, by providing pragmatic leadership. Encouraged & firmly stood behind efficient officers, even to the extent of personally owning up their genuine mistakes. Paid a heavy price for his firmness, when was shifted out, almost at mid-night, apparently being found uncomfortable by the power lobby. Even thereafter, continued his tirade against economic offenders, as Director, Anti- Evasion (Central Excise), which finally turned out to be his water-loo; Prematurely retired, in 1985; the Order was struck down by Hon'ble Supreme Court, but alas many years later, when the relief was just notional, having already crossed age of superannuation. Respectful homage to the Captain, who led from the front, was the best shield & shock-absorber for the Team, besides an unforgettable noble human being.......
Arun Sharma
