It happens only in India

Prof Javed Mughal
Our cities of state have abundant problems, which are too many to count. Even if we try to list them, the task would be Herculean and it would need reams and reams of paper to list all of them. Whichever way we turn we encounter various problems major or minor, which have made our life almost next to difficult. It is no use making complaints, since it has been our sad experience that complaints always fall flat on deaf ears. Possibly Darwin had a fair idea of our country especially the metro-cities, when he laid down his rule of the “Survival of fittest” in his doctrine of biological Evolution. True that one needs an iron body to tackle the problems in this country of ours. We have all these problems of intermittent load-shedding, scarcity of water supply, water-logging, poor telephone services, dirt and slush all around, corruption in high places to name only a few. One of the major problems faced by the people is the condition of the city roads, lanes and bye-lanes which are found plenty in number. Not that those roads are anything to make a song and dance about. Apart from traffic jams in these narrow roads they pose multiple problems to the pedestrians, motorists and scooterists.
These roads offer lots of adventure and drama to the citizens which can never be experienced in any other city. What is strikingly evident in our cities is the number and variety of vehicle cars, trucks, auto-rickshaws, buses; all jostle one another and want the right of the way before others. Everyone wants to beat the other as if they are participating in a race. There is not a trace of consideration for others. Charity or generosity is utterly unknown to these highly temperamental and impetuous operators of diverse vehicles. Like Prince Duryodhana of Mahabharata, none of these vehicle operators is prepared to give even a needle point of space to others. The drivers freely abuse others and enjoy themselves. In these traffic jams, which might maintain its status quo for an hour or more in the cities like Jammu, Srinagar or even a small but undisciplined town of Rajouri , the pedestrians cross the road with heart in their mouths, anywhere, in the absence of Zebra Crossing. Since our country goes for democracy and the government is supposed to work for the welfare of the “aam admi”, the people naturally have special privileges. There is absolute freedom to talk and act as one likes, the traffic controllers are free to demand money for one reason or the other from the hapless truck drivers or from others, the residents too are free to use the roads as they like, without any inhibition. They may or may not use the footpaths, meant for walking specially for the safety of the pedestrians. Hence you see people sauntering through the middle of the road nonchalantly. And if some poor driver hits somebody the public will take care of the unfortunate soul by beating him black and blue, without pausing to consider whether the driver was at fault or the victim. They forget that their first concern should be the accident victim, who might need medical help. But attacking the driver appears to be the main duty of the righteous people around. That is the reason why there are so many hit and run cases and the drivers dare not face the public fury. To avoid accidents they should surely use the pavements for walking, but it is also true that they are available only in some areas and they are too narrow for a comfortable walk. They are not at all safe as besides having open man holes, they also face other hazards. Some scooterists use the pavements for driving their vehicles at a break-neck speed, right across the middle of the pavement without caring that they might knock down somebody, including children. But who cares? They are free to drive recklessly and derive lots of fun from it. During the rainy season most of the roads, especially in Jammu and Srinagar, get submerged and this continues throughout the rainy season. You have to walk across waist-deep water to reach your destination. Cars get stuck in inundated roads, and remain immobile.  When you try to pick up speed, you might unexpectedly encounter one of the numerous speed-breakers, thoughtfully left unmarked and built without any prescribed specification. That would bring you back from your reverie or day dream, literally with a bump. You would be lucky, if the car remains undamaged and it still goes on. For a spoil, who is likely to grumble under such conditions, we have only to say that he does not quite know the joy of living in danger. Those kill joys should know that these thrills of adventure on our roads cannot be given by a smooth pitched road, which gives an even and speedy drive. As in an adventure story, one encounters major or minor hazards at each road. During the wedding season we have to cross other hurdles. In some wedding venues it can be seen that the entire portion of the road in front of some houses is enclosed to make the pandal for the wedding. You go half way across the road, only to turn back at the site of the pandal, thereby wasting time and money. The same thing happens in case of repairing some portion of the lanes, which abound the city. They do not put up any signboards at the main point to warn the motorists that work is going on that way and he must not take that route.
But consideration for others is the last thing you may except in these cities of ours. Some of these roads in the suburban cities can be called ‘roads’ only by courtesy. They are so muddy, uneven and slippery that you have to hold your courage in both hands to venture that way. The road side is also used as a public toilet by some people. They believe that they have the right to use the road as a latrine and to hell with the feelings of other people. It is of course offensive and objectionable but who cares? They are free to do whatever they want and nobody dares to object. Then the foot paths are not exclusively meant for the pedestrians. The cyclists and scooterists can be seen whizzing past merrily on the foot paths, missing pedestrians (who have the right to walk there) by a hair’s breath. The foot paths are also used by the hawkers to sell their merchandise. They are there with varieties of products the children’s wear, saris, men’s wear, bed linen, socks, hankies the list is endless. You name it and it is there. Women sit on the footpaths with corns which they warm up on the small fire, season with salt before the buyer’s eye within seconds. Anyhow we must not be surprised at all this nonsense since it happens only in India and may be in a few other countries of the Asian continent.

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