Excessive honking

By Chander Mohan

India must surely be at the very top in the world in contributing to noise pollution arising out of excessive honking. This dubious position of the country is under no threat even though the Mumbai traffic police, after observing April 7 as 'No Honking Day', is reportedly planning to make that a 'permanent' campaign in the hope that the drivers learn to be more considerate. That there was hardly any noticeable difference in 'horn pollution' on April 7 despite the police imposing fines on 6295 drivers in the city on that day, is a different thing.
The erring drivers were spotted with the help of NGOs and volunteers who had taken part in that drive on April 7 because they wanted Mumbaikars to understand that noise pollution can lead to a lot of serious health problems: heart attack and other stress-related illnesses, not to mention hearing defects. A 'chase' by a horn-happy driver can be a very annoying experience for a motorist, even for those who see nothing wrong in frequent recourse to horn.
Of course, in all other cities and towns across the country nobody gave a damn about the 'No Honking' drive by the Mumbai traffic police. In the national capital, the Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) said that Delhi does not need to emulate Mumbai's drive because the two metros are very different cities. Well, Mumbai is a 'linear' city with mostly straight if narrow roads while Delhi's considerably wider roads just go round and round in circles. Mumbai's roads take the load of about 1.5 million cars against Delhi's 5.5 million. In Mumbai's busier areas you will find very few slow-moving vehicles and yet Mumbaikars love to drive with one hand on the horn button as much as most Delhi'ites.
The Delhi Police's reasoning against the 'No Honking Day' should give a clue why Delhi is also the country's number one city of mayhem on roads. Those in authority in the capital are not interested in taking initiatives to end the burgeoning road chaos while taking shelter behind standard excuses, one of which is their alleged preoccupation with VIP safety. As the city with the most number of VIPs, Delhi enjoys immunity from enforcing traffic laws. Notice how the cars of 'lesser' VIPs-the ones that travel without the caravan of 'escort' vehicles-zig zag through traffic, blaring siren and overtaking one and all.
The worthy Delhi police obviously does not believe the evidence that noise pollution arising from excessive and continuous loud honking is a serious health hazard. They might just be aware that about three years ago the highest court in the land had banned a number of activities that contribute to noise pollution and 'unauthorised' loud honking by vehicles was one of them. Whose fault is it if these laws are observed mostly in breach?
It is no exaggeration to say that 99 percent of Indians who hold a valid and 'genuine' driving licence would fail the driving test in any western country-not once but again and again. Apart from the average Indian's indifference towards observing all the driving norms and etiquettes (as necessary as the rules) his or her uncontrollable urge to drive with one hand on the horn button would disqualify the Indian in any foreign country.
It will be said that India is not part of the western world and, hence, it is foolish to expect an Indian to drive the way they do in the west. Fair enough. The horn is an instrument that is meant to alert the people of any danger, a forewarning to erratic drivers and jaywalkers alike. And India has the largest population of jaywalkers. It cannot be disputed that quite a few accidents, minor and major, are averted everyday by the timely sounding of the horn. Even in the 'civilised' countries they do use horn. It may be rare though-to attract attention or express annoyance.
The Indian driver uses the horn for the same reasons-to attract attention and issue alert notice though also with increasing frequency as an expression of road rage. However, the fact remains that in India sounding the horn has become an accepted rule and, going by the statement of Delhi's joint commission of police (traffic), it is not seen as something undesirable, much less unlawful or uncivilised.
Observe the traffic along any road, at any time of the day or night, and be sure to have your eardrums pierced by a cacophony of loud horns the sound of which might suppress some of the expletives that flow from the mouth of the drivers. At traffic junctions an average Delhi driver would start honking even before the light has turned amber from red. A traffic jam does not lessen his or her impulsive urge to press the horn button. And the rage of the impatient Delhi driver reaches the zenith if there is a slow-moving vehicle or a human being in front of him or her. The horn is sounded to let them realise that they are lucky they have not been run over despite their temerity to come on the road.
One can blame anyone that one likes, the reality is that the average driver knows but refuses to acknowledge that unlike most other countries roads in Delhi are shared by a bewildering variety of vehicles and also by the species that move on two and four legs and, so, there is greater need to show some patience and consideration for other road users by curbing the instinct to sound the horn.
The heterogeneous nature of traffic might provide some justification to use the horn, but it still does not justify its compulsive and excessive usage. How does, for instance, sounding the horn help if a cycle-rickshaw or any other slow-moving vehicle in front is stalled because of a traffic jam? The slow-moving vehicle will move aside as soon as it is possible to do so and that may take less than a minute. But no, the driver behind must start blaring the horn as if to ask why the wretched fellow with his crawling machine was on the road.
Perhaps the only way to end noise pollution on Delhi roads is to ban the movement of all slow-moving vehicles, man and animal, and leave the roads for speed-and-horn maniacs. That may still leave the problem of the infamous Blue-line buses that split your eardrums with their loud and non-stop use of horn and kill people wantonly because no law has been found to be strong enough to discipline them. Last heard, the Blue-line operators were planning to challenge the government move to throw them out of business. (Syndicate Features)

Is the reservation part of politics?

By Arundeep Singh

The 27 percent reservation for other backward classes (OBCs) in central educational institutions, including the IITs and IIMs, is now official after the Supreme Court upheld the Central Education Institutions (Reservation in Admission) act 2006. Through the Order is balanced, the priority has ensured that merit will be pushed down further in the priority list given that no political party has the guts to oppose this move. The reasons: politicians feel that this act will bring with it rich political dividends.
There is no doubt that the right to education is important and the state has to ensure that children attend primary and secondary schools. But reservations in institutions of higher learning are a sure way of compromising merit is alter of politics. This is not to say that OBCs should not get a chance to study in these institutions; they should do so on merit only.
The courts suggestion that graduates will not qualify for reservation in institutes of higher learning; it must be interpreted in the right spirit. Anyone who goes beyond the graduation level in humanities and science and above class XII in professional courses must have merit. Otherwise, the whole purpose of education sets defeated.
With capitation institutions mushrooming all over the country, particularly in Maharashtra and Karnataka, money has started playing a major role in shaping the career of doctors and engineers. The result is that a large number of doctors, engineers and MBAs have joined the job market but money among them lack basic skills. In fact states should conduct a survey to ascertain the credentials of these professionals.
Would any of us like to be treated by doctors who have qualified either through the capitation or reservation routes but are not capable? Would we like our bridges and roads to be built by engineers who use this route or MBAs who apply principals? Which are being questioned even in developed countries; to a developing society like ours?
While there is a case for making education compulsory at the primary and secondary levels, merit should be the only yardstick for higher education. This is where political parties have gone wrong. They treat higher education either as a knowledge industry or a vote-bank.
This feeling is now bound to change. And it could even backfire especially in the cities. In fact the other side of implementation of this law is that the section, which are opposed to any kind of reservation but were with the congress because of its past track record, will also move away from the party. This is certainly going to reduce the already-shrinking base of the congress. At the same time, it is going to strengthen regional and castes forces represented in parliament and assembly by some of the regional parties. As it is, the congress over emphasis on minorities has already distanced many in the majority community from it. Now castes and sections that have been hit by reservations and those who believe in the merit argument will start having second thoughts.
One wonders why the congress leaders don't realize what is good for them even if they don't realize what is good for the country. The HRD Minister was suspected of pushing agenda when he introduced the OBC card in 2006. He could have been checked at that stage. Instead of helping the congress, the act will be a boost for some of its allies and opponents who are into caste-based politics.
The act will also lead to polarization on the basis of castes and therefore, strengthen the argument for a third alternative. In the process the congress as well as the BJP will be adversely affected. Ironically, it is Mayawati who is reacting the same way the congress have been done some years ago. The Utter Pradesh chief minister turned the caste pyramid on its head by accusing Rahul Gandhi of purifying himself with a special soap every time he meets someone of her caste; she got away with a statement that would have been unequivocally condemned had it come from anyone else. Quite apart from curious question of how she has such intimate information on the elusive Gandhi, she was playing into ancient anxieties that her own community has long left behind. In other words, she was ensuring that the ordinary Dalit continues to see every other caste of the enemy; she was keeping alive in security in the same community that she has so radically empowered.
Education must be made compulsory at the lower levels but merit should be the only measure in the higher levels caste, creed, religion and region not with standing. The country is everything else between us.
Notwithstanding the above concern, this judgement has an important bearing on the entire system of higher education, especially institutions of excellence, because it challenges the idea that merit exists in a vacuum -outstanding of social location and equality of opportunity. Opening these institutions to Dalit and Adivasi student, especially, will bring in dimension of diversity and counter -hegemonic thinking that will enrich the quality of education imparted there and strengthen democracy. When we see the whole scenario of the OBCs quota, you find that it is caste based politics and preparation for coming Lok Sabha elections. CNF