| Minister knows God will protect him, will the police too? | ||
Guwahati, Apr 1 : If you have God on your side, no need to put on the helmet! This, apparently, is the new rule and it has been quoted by none other than Assam’s health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who led a Youth Congress bike rally yesterday, sans a helmet, and today defended his action with a casual, “I know God will protect me”. It was hardly the right message from a young minister who was leading the bike rally of Youth Congress activists most of whom were without helmets, just like their leader. “These are election campaign rallies. How will the people see me if I wear a full-mask helmet? And since we drive at a very slow speed in such rallies, not more than 30-40km/hour, I don't think there is any risk to anybody,” Sarma said today when questioned about his “illegal act”. By Sarma’s own admission, around 6,000 youths rode 3,000 bikes during the rally which he said was a proof of the “Congress’s youth power”. The health minister, who has been engaged in rebuilding the health sector of the state, had promised to set up a trauma unit at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). But doctors at the GMCH today said the minister’s act yesterday was capable of causing trauma to himself and his fellow-riders. That the trauma unit is still a non-starter is beside the point. Traffic police today said they had taken cognisance of the violation of law and will initiate action against all those who rode without helmets, including the minister. City traffic superintendent of police Pradip Puzari said wearing of helmets was mandatory under Section 129 of the Motor Vehicle Act and its violation was an offence. “We are initiating legal action against all those who violated the rule,” he added. Section 129 relates to “wearing of protective headgear conforming to the standards of Bureau of Indian Standards.” Asked whether the rally violated the model code of conduct, state chief electoral officer Hemanta Narzary said riding a bike without a helmet was something his office did not deal with but he had instructed his officials to keep a check on such poll-related rallies. “I have asked my officers to keep a watch on such activities. There can be no question of any activity which is a risk to anyone’s life and limbs,” he said. “I have nothing much to say except that these issues have to be dealt with under existing rules by the traffic police,” he added. Traffic police will be under pressure to act now as any future crackdown on helmet-less bikers will be challenged with the question: Did the health minister pay a fine? |
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