By Amitabh Kumar - Head of Media Division (Centre for Social Research)
Have you ever felt you almost kicked the bucket while crossing the street, as that fast car furiously zoomed past missing you by a few inches? Well if you live in India or have ever visited our crazy nation I am sure you know that feeling. Having grown up in Delhi, I am not surprised at the fact that my city tops the list in fatal road accidents
In fact it would be surprise not to witness a minor accident on the road & many close misses, if you are travelling in Delhi.
The road I take to work, is the infamous Nelson Mandela Marg(headlines to a few major accidents), a long stretch of a wide road between Vasant Vihar and Vasant Kunj, where the rich of south Delhi like to test the acceleration of their mean machines. As much as I love the Idea of India progressing & all of us owning Lamborghini’s, we should not be turning a blind eye to most of Indians who are still struggling for their daily bread and walk to work, yes the pedestrians !
Nelson Mandela Marg is also home to Delhi’s fanciest malls, Yes that little piece of Hollywood in the middle of south Delhi. Most of the staff working in these malls uses public transport to get to work (and that won’t change, nope they belong to that category of humans who are born to sell luxury products never own them). They need to cross this fast lane street to get to work.
With a lot of pressure from the civil society, the public works department had inaugurated the #FootOverBridge on 29th August last year , sadly not a single stone has been constructed post that date. Dr Yoganand Shastri the then speaker for the Delhi assembly did a huge media show with garlands and photographers & all the other works which goes with it, I wonder what he has to say about this slow progress !
Well, I figured we could just ask them, so we will be sending postcards(one each day, till we get a reply or a #FootOverBridge) to Dr Shastri( The bloke who inaugurated the FOB) Mr Jung ( Lg of Delhi & Currently responsible for all work to be done in Delhi) Sh Dinesh Kumar(The Public works department boss, who should be getting it constructed)
So the questions are being delivered by the mailman as we speak. In times where the authorities do not pay attention to protesters shouting & screaming, fasting until death, will this age old methodology work ? Let wait and see :)
In fact it would be surprise not to witness a minor accident on the road & many close misses, if you are travelling in Delhi.
Nelson Mandela Marg is also home to Delhi’s fanciest malls, Yes that little piece of Hollywood in the middle of south Delhi. Most of the staff working in these malls uses public transport to get to work (and that won’t change, nope they belong to that category of humans who are born to sell luxury products never own them). They need to cross this fast lane street to get to work.
So the questions are being delivered by the mailman as we speak. In times where the authorities do not pay attention to protesters shouting & screaming, fasting until death, will this age old methodology work ? Let wait and see :)
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