CARE TO BE SENSIBLE
The civilization is reaching milestones: space exploration, wealth, health, and developments happening at lightning speed. India is growing to be the biggest economy in the world. As much as we are gaining momentum in our development, something important is amiss!
No, I am not talking about the environmental impacts, pollution, health risks or food. We at the city level are lacking or lagging behind in very important aspects of behaviour. We are nurturing the future generation exactly the way we would rather not grow. We have fancy educational qualifications, booming IT industries, and the emerging medical hub of the south, but people here and people who are coming in are missing the basic civic sense.
We don’t have the patience to wait for a red signal; we don’t follow the rules of the road we share with others. No matter how many vehicles are going to be on the road, if everyone consciously follows rules, I believe we can make a change. This cannot be just taught in schools; children learn from everyone, and their families are their first leaders. We don’t follow, and they don’t either. We were told by our elders that education is a very important tool to change your life. We are educated, but with knowledge comes responsibility to do the right thing. We should start being that responsible, law-abiding citizen to bring about the change we want to happen in our children. We travel to a lot of countries and praise their road sense. To get a licence and to drive on the road is not easy; the process is not very accessible, but here we can get it done sooner, so we don’t respect what we get easily. Road traffic accidents are becoming crazy, and blaming the other person while we are driving in a yellow signal is not right.
Of course civic sense has many more aspects to it, but driving has become a stressful one because of the fellow riders who are driving like they are participating in a racing competition.
Everyone needs to be somewhere, so you trying to honk and intercept it only makes more delays. Teach yourself the rules and follow rules; be the example, and children will catch up as they grow. Be a responsible driver on the road. You don’t need authority to make you follow rules; doing the right thing even when no one is watching is important.
A kind piece of advice to the future riders too: follow rules no matter what; you can wait till you turn the right age to ride bikes or cars. It’s not a fancy thing to do; after all, vehicles are just a mode of transport. Learn to be patient, plan ahead. STAY CALM AND DRIVE.
Rekha Murugapoopathy
Parent of Narein Karthik (Grade II-C)
MAHATMA GLOBAL GATEWAY CIE
