Sir,
This refers to the news item’Selfie mania claims two more lives'(DE,April 17, 2016).It is tragic that two youth were run over by Brahamputra Mail while taking a selfie on the tracks and another youth trying to get a closer look at them too fell down to death from the fast moving train.The two youths are reported to have been warned by the gate man on duty to step away but it was too late.Selfie related deaths have also been reported from other countries but India reportedly tops the list of selfie related deaths accounting for about half such deaths.These deaths have often been caused while clicking selfies at unusual spots such as beaches,mountain cliffs,high bridges, banks of rivers,near or on the trains etc and from unique angles.
In a string of fatal selfie incidents,people are reported to have died from fall from a mountain cliffs, from drowning in the waterbodies,by being crushed under the trains,by being electrocuted or hit by gunshots .Only the other day,TV Channels flashed pictures of some youth in Delhi clicking selfies from the moving car and bikes while performing dangerous stunts at a great risk to their lives.Thus,the need of the hour is to take measures to prevent deaths on account of clicking selfies.The Railway Ministry has already banned taking selfies near the trains and those taking selfies can be arrested and heavily fined.The government also ought to take other steps such declaration of certain areas such as banks of water bodies such as rivers,oceans and high mountain cliffs/ buildings etc as ‘no selfie zones’ and these orders should be strictly implemented. People,especially the children should keep in mind that life is a beautiful gift from God and they should safeguard their life by taking precautionary measures.They also ought to be warned against the risk of clicking selfies in dangerous and incident prone sites. All these steps will help a lot in saving the precious lives lost due to this new and dangerous trend.
Yours etc…..
Ankita Sharma
Udhampur
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