Hello Everyone,
This is Kilo. Recently when I was travelling late night in a highway I came across fog and had not visibility at all. I had no choice other than just rolling on a speed of 7 kmph and not even 10 kmph with headlights off and fog lights on. Though I desperately wanted to pull over and wait till the fog is clear but unfortunately the region was not conducive to do so because of active Maoist, robbery and all in that region. Thus, moving was the only option available with me. In the meanwhile, I saw a speeding camper vehicle, may be vegetable whole-seller and followed by a gigantic bus driving at a speed not less than 60 kmph. I was amazed how the vehicle could see in such drastic condition and what inspires to do such a speed in such visibility. Though I am young and have a good eye sight still believe me I could not even make 10 kmph in such scenario. After a few minutes passed, I found a series of cow’s corpse laying in the road and it is a scene of hell, dark red coloured blood everywhere. There was just a lone cow standing in the middle of the road in trauma. It shook me from the bottom how heinous and gruesome humans could be. I literally had to go off track to find a way through the carcass. Though I wanted to calm and console the traumatised poor cow who got saved miraculously but I could not and left the place of hell in tears and agony. Even I had the footages but I do not know, I had no courage to view it again. Moreover, the journey was long thus I could not get a chance to download them and everything got overwrite. May be that’s what destiny wants. But it is not how we humans actually are. Thus, I vowed that no matter how bad the situation is I will never cause any harm to these noble souls. Modern science claims that animals shed tears only to lubricate their eyes, how knows as they cannot express their pain as we could by the mode speech. Thus, I am trying to give a voice to all these speechless animals.
Indian roads are highly dynamic and one cannot expect that every upcoming meter will be the same as it looks. Abruptly any animal could come intersect the roads. Just expecting a barricade would keep them away from our roads is actually a thought of a halfwit. The population of cattle is close to 500 million in India. Even the government is aware of this concern and working hard to handle it in an efficient way. Thus, this number could go up just because of modernisation and involvement of technology. For example, earlier a farmer ploughs his fields with the help of the oxen but now tractors and other equipment displaced the cattle making it a stray one. Many state governments are working in this matter by creating goshalas, and other shelter facilities just to take care of these stray cattle. However, only goshalas are not enough to manage the population. We need to delve into in and develop different strategies to tackles this issue.
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Defensive Driving for All
Whenever we drive it’s more common to see an animal crossing the road. No matter what species it is. If it’s a cat or a dog colliding with a light motor vehicle we do not care because of the damage it would inflict in our own precious car. The speechless stray cat or dog will eventually die or may struggle for food with a handicapped body. However, if it is a cow or a buffalo the matters become serious and everyone starts playing the blame game, because not only the cow or buffalo but also the user of vehicle gets life threatening injury and causes devastating damage to property and may also causes death. Whom to blame in such a case because we cannot fix an accountability. If keep playing the never-ending blame game we could never make our roads a safe paradise. Here comes the concept of defensive driving.
Defensive Driving makes you aware and lets you anticipate the roads in a better precision. Defensive driving is not only for the riders, drivers it is also helpful to keep everyone safe in the surrounding. In this dynamism it is important to expect that there may be cattle crossing or may suddenly appear in the road. If we do not expect such things in our driving style it will give an element of surprise to our brain for which the brain was not ready resulting in a fatal crash. Thus, we will discuss more about defensive driving in other dedicated part. In order to stay safe from cattle or any other dynamism in roads you are expected to drive as per prescribed speed limit of that particular road because it gives you ample time to react to the unexpected.
When it comes to National Highway, we keep blaming the Central Government for all such issues. As a citizen we enjoy many rights thus it comes with some obligation or duties that we need to fulfil. U/A 51 A (g) states that it is the duty on the citizens of India to protect and improve the natural environment and have compassion for all living creatures. That does not mean government is not accountable for road accidents due to cattle. It simply means to say that just by driving in a limited form of speed or just by obeying the speed limit prescribed by the law and you are doing your obligations. I believe just by keeping your speed in limits can avoid 80 percent of such unexpected accidents. Do not just blindly ply fast at triple digit speeds in the roads. By not driving fast you are saving not only stray cattle but many others. Thus, you are being a responsible citizen.
Whenever you see any stray cattle or animal in the road the first and foremost thing should come into your conscious is to break the speed into half. Anticipate the movement of the animal and let it go. This may consume your time (may be some seconds or few minutes) and you can compensate it when the road is clear by maintaining a good average speed. Always ask yourself saving few seconds worth the life? Remember life is beyond few seconds and minutes.
When it comes to blame the government let’s understand the issues that government faces.
As we all know India is Federal country where centre is equally powerful to states or states are not inferior to centre. This means both have their own powers to make legislation. The power to make law in different subjects is listed in the Seventh schedule of the constitution. It comprises of 3 lists, i.e., List 1 (Union list), List 2 (State list), List 3 (Concurrent list). Now the subject falls under list 1 gives exclusive power to centre to make law on that particular subject whereas subject under list 2 gives exclusive power to state to make law on that subject. List 3 is collection of subjects where both can make laws but when there is ambiguity or contradictory view the laws of the centre would prevail over the state. Now the actual problem is lack of coordination in centre state relationship or cooperative federalism. The subject of Road and Highways is under list 1, thus the central government works on it and constructs highways, roads and expressways etc. For commencing such construction, it cooperates and co-ordinates with different ministries for its approval. As the highway runs through different states the central government issues guidelines for the states to coordinate for the cause. Whereas the issues caused due to stray cattle is actually a subject under list 2 as Animal Husbandry and dairying is a subject listed in list 2. That is State government is responsible for the management, safeguarding and sheltering of stray cattle. A highway constructed by centre runs pass through various states. Let’s understand it this way, we may not see few cattle while passing through a state X where as we may see more stray cattle while passing through a state Y, though the highway is same still the cattle situation managed by different states may not be uniform all through the highway. We need to be aware about this problem and drive accordingly in the highway. Moreover, creating coordination between states and centre and states is not under our control. Though it is the job of the centre and our Honourable supreme court in case of any confliction. Thus, we could not blame the government for each and every if’s and but’s. The thing that is actually under our control is the speed of our vehicle. The government is working hard in this issue to keep the stray animal away from the highways and roads. Typical example of it is the bypass created for the wild life in the mighty Samruddhi Mahamarg. Fencing and many other safeguarding were provided in the expressway to keep the vehicle plying and cruising effortlessly. It is just a matter of time for the government to intervene and make the highways safe by providing high barricading, fencing and coordinating all the state government for the cause to keep the roads safe. Till then it is the duty of user of the road to obey the speed limits and keep the roads safe for all who could speak and who could not speak to defend itself.
Your Loving,
Kilo
