Long live the dwindling class of humble and ordinary law abiding citizens of India (others are busy flouting Rules and Laws in all possible ways !)

It is sad that Ayazuddin’s life ended at such a young age. He was a budding cricketer who  succumbed to the injuries sustained in the road accident involving Suzuki GSX R1000.   Death needs to be condoled and it is tragic for his parents and his dear ones. 

There are reports quoting  Delhi’s best known superbiker Dr Arun Thareja 50, a surgeon known in biking circles as 'Dr Speed' state that he opined that parents are mainly responsible for mishaps involving youngsters on these mean machines.   He is quoted as saying that   in most cases, parents give these high-speed motorcycles to their kids without as much as ensuring they have proper training and the gear to handle these speed demons. “ More often than not, there is no restraint on how these bikes are used," said the man who has been riding superbikes since 1984. Thareja the founder of GODS (Group Of Delhi Superbikers), a club of about 50-odd high-end bikers sure knows much about the bikes and men who handle such costly ones.  Though some may not relish, his advice sounds bitter truth.  He also spoke of the  bikemakers  Suzuki  wishing to  train clients buying these big bikes but finding  no place for such training.

The GSX-R1000 which was driven by Ayazuddin at the material time, is a sport bike from Suzuki's GSX-R series of motorcycles. It was introduced in 2001 to replace the GSX-R1100 and is powered by a liquid-cooled 999 cc (61.0 cu in) inline four-cylinder, four-stroke engine.

What we fail to learn is :  As a Nation, we are not law-abiding.  We would stretch every muscle to break the rules.  Most rules be it traffic rules, signals or other laws are meant to bemuse and restrain the common man.  The rich and powerful always consider themselves above the law.  In the busy stretch of Kamarjar Salai (Beach Road) in Chennai, where traffic flows right from the morning,  one can often see vehicles violating signals, cutting yellow lines and being driven at break-neck speeds causing trouble, fear, hindrance, nuisance and threat to life and limbs of other road users.  Many of them belong to Politically powerful (one can see the stickers and paintings of political leaders), some Government vehicles, transport corporation buses  and top bureaucrats – many of them even have the red light atop the vehicle.  If it is a rule, does it differentiate between elite and ordinary road users.  Sometimes, even life saving ambulances are not properly provided free way.  Worst, whenever an ambulance winds its way through marauding traffic, people mindlessly try to follow the ambulance by driving fast after that. 

In some Kingdoms, understand that there are some roads meant only for the Royal – do our ruling class, politicians, judiciary, bureaucrats, and other bigwigs consider themselves above law 0r is there still feudalism prevalent ?   In what way are they important or better than other road users !!   It is but common to find people driving without license, proper vehicular documents, proper Name plates and what not..  all these people think that ‘Laws of the Land’ are nothing for them and would never come near them, simply because they know some politicians or policemen.  What a poor attitude fuelled by their regular escapades from the traffic cops and other enforcing agencies. 

TOI reports that the  Suzuki GSX R1000 which  was involved in the fatal accident of Azharuddin's son Ayazuddin was registered in the name of a petty footwear trader from the Old City in Hyderabad. Officials are checking if Azhar had bought the bike in the merchant's name to avoid attention of I-T officers.  The report states that the bike was imported from Nagoya, Japan, in July 2010 by Bittoo Bike Wala, Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi for Rs 5.27 lakh plus 88% tax. On December 23, 2010, Syed Ather Ali of Fazal Sagar in Mallepally, Hyderabad, bought the bike from the Delhi-based dealer by paying Rs 13,12,649. The Bittoo Bike dealers were informed that the bike was actually being bought for Azharuddin.   It is learnt that Police went to the address given by Ather Ali to verify ownership documents. When the cops reached his house, Ather Ali was not at home and police learnt that he has gone to Mecca Masjid to participate in the janaza of Ayazuddin, who breathed his last on Friday morning.  Police officers met Ather Ali near the Mecca Masjid and he confirmed that he was the owner of the bike. He told the cops that he would provide them the original documents by Saturday. Ather told the cops that he hails from Kanpur and is a family friend of Azharuddin. The bike has a temporary Delhi registration, Ather Ali informed. He said that he runs a footwear shop, Noble Footwear, at Agapura in the Old City.  Keeping in view the last rites of Ayazuddin being held on Friday, the police did not press for any further details and left the place after telling Ather to contact them on Saturday with the documents.

Azharuddin is not only a popular cricketer, but is a responsible Member of Parliament.  Is it so difficult for anybody to obtain a driving license ? – especially the son of a MP.

The boy did not have a valid DL, was riding a bike owned by some one at a terrific speed in a reckless manner capable of harming the lives of other road users.  The vehicle was having a Delhi Registration.  Sec 180 of the Motor Vehicles Act mentions of punishment with imprisonment or with fine for the owner or person in charge of a motor vehicle, who causes or permits any other person who does not satisfy the provisions of section 3 or section 4 to drive the vehicle. 

That vehicles should not be driven without a valid Driving License is known to every road user – but perhaps being a son of MP had given him the immunity to do whatever he wanted.  Yesterday another MP had left a suitcase containing 10 lakhs of hard currency and claimed it to be his friend’s money.  Accounting income and not keeping anything in black is on all Indian citizens – whether the money left behind and found was part of a bigger bounty would never be known as also the reasons for taking high amount of cash -  all big offences for a common man – but perhaps not for the Law maker. 

These are not isolated incidents but regular occurrences that come to light only when something go wrong… and the common man waits at traffic signals for hours, goes to bank, fills up his PAN No. for withdrawing cash of Rs.50000/- from his own Savings Bank Account, pays Income tax for all his earning including the interest derived from his Fixed deposits, shares and stocks (if at all one can save something and make some further money out of them).  Common man needs to stands in winding queues hours together even for paying his income tax and filing his income tax returns.. We want the citizens to be good and law abiding but are allowing a Class of Rulers to be above all Laws…………  Incredible India !!

It was a sad day for the rail passengers – yet another accident resulting in loss of lives.  It is after all the poor of the country who travel daily in trains (most of them do buy tickets).   The Chennai Beach-Vellore Cantonment MEMU rammed the rear of the Arakkonam-Katpadi passenger train, resulting in the death of ten passengers and injuries to several others.  Few years back, someone had demonstrated how a train could be taken out of the yard and driven few kilometers, passing some stations and signals and ramming it causing fatal accident.  Now theories abound stating that it was human error pointing out that it was the fault of the driver..  how the train kept passing the signals and why nothing was done to stop the train, if it was so.

Now there are reports that the driver of the Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit (MEMU) that met with an accident near Arakkonam in Vellore district on Tuesday night was speaking on his mobile phone just before the collision. It is claimed that Police investigation has revealed that driver A. Rajkumar was speaking on his mobile phone (8056017713) with a friend between 9.17 p.m. and 9.21 p.m. After the call got disconnected, his friend called back and they spoke between 9.21 p.m. and 9.23 p.m. The time of collision has been recorded as 9.27 p.m. though the time on the mobile phone and railway records may vary, police sources said.

“When we examined Rajkumar at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital on Thursday, he denied having used his mobile phone and said that he always kept the instrument in silent mode while at work. The call details record speak otherwise…it is possible that he missed the signals by oversight or distraction,” Deputy Superintendent of Police (Railways) V. Ponran told The Hindu on Friday.

On the instructions of the Inspector-General of Police (Railways) Sunil Kumar, a special team visited the accident spot between Melpakkam and Chitheri railway stations and studied the signalling system there. Rajkumar claimed that he saw the signal turn green from yellow and increased the speed of the MEMU to 75-80 kmph. The Commissioner of Railway Safety (Southern Circle) S.K. Mittal, who inspected the accident scene, commenced his enquiry. He examined the driver of the Arakkonam-Katpadi passenger train and the guard of the MEMU. He also interacted with Rajkumar and enquired into the circumstances that led to the accident, railway sources said.

If Rajkumar was indeed talking on phone, got distracted and ignored or failed to notice the signals – he had only joined the elite band of other road users who keep talking on mobile while walking on the road, driving two wheelers, driving cars, buses and…. It is a hideous sight to see two wheeler drivers with bent head, holding the mobile between the curved neck and shoulder…  when will these idiots ever learn that they are exposing themselves and others to danger.  Then there is the common man,  who could not resist talking multi-crore deals whilst walking on the road….

Only stringent Laws, high penalties and strong implementation of rules would ever bring some semblance of order……………  will that ever happen at all   ?

Regards – S. Sampathkumar.