Come the snowfall and the whole valley witnesses’ chaos on roads. The otherwise angelic looking snow paralyses the movement and life comes to standstill.
In the first week of January, when the whole valley was witnessing heavy snowfall, Nature blessed south Kashmir with some extra feet of snow and life in this part of Kashmir went completely out of gear. While sipping my morning tea I peeped out of my window to enjoy the beauty of nature and many thoughts crossed my mind. I kept wondering about the safety of people who willingly or unwillingly have to leave their homes. Also, I was supposed to take part in a college programme under the banner “32nd Road Safety Month” as an NSS (National Service Scheme) programme officer. So all these thoughts kept revolving in my mind and I wanted to pen down my experiences about road safety.
I was fortunate enough to experience some lessons because of the two unfortunate events that happened to me, one that I had a painful fall because of the slippery lanes and second that I couldn’t drive on that slippery road. Both made me think and observe the system inside and outside me. Both compelled me to do something. So first I started questioning myself about the fall, which of course was because of my carelessness, and how I was going to overcome this trouble.
I started to look within and I found the answer to the first ‘Why’. The problem was within me. I realized that I slipped because it was slippery outside and I didn’t follow the advice of my mother who had warned me (few moments before the fall) to walk carefully and slowly and that I was not wearing proper footwear though I was having a fair understanding of the situation outside and the importance of wearing the proper kind of shoes. Still I didn’t care and took it lightly. I didn’t practice the theory and I wore whatever I found first in the shoe rack as I was in a hurry of going and returning at earliest. I came back with a different thing now-‘Pain’. I was fortunate enough that it was just a muscle pain and not a fracture. So I learnt a lesson- I realized how important it is to think before doing anything. Slow down when you are in a mood of speeding up, and that the experience teaches you more, follow advice and advisories. I was now in a mood of doing something more, like how to educate the students about the same, how to disseminate the lessons which I got, as the concern about the safety of others was growing inside me and I needed to do something about it.
Next, I was thinking about the second problem. I had to attend my exam duties and given the weather advisories I was in a dilemma of driving the car on my own. I could not muster the courage of driving on these slippery roads and decided on taking my father who is a seasoned driver. I have read somewhere ‘one plus one is equal to won’, so I followed it. I felt SAFE with my father and was looking forward to enjoying the ride as always. But all my hopes were dashed and it turned out to be a horrible experience. I felt that I had compromised on my father’s safety and comfort for mine.It was a different experience altogether. Instead of the ‘Management of this Disaster’ by the concerned authorities it felt as if it was the “Disaster by the management”caused by Nature/God/and Man alike and from hereon I started to think deeply about the Safety concerns.
At home I started working on the assignment for my college regarding the celebration of the’ 32nd Road Safety Month’. Intentionally we took the task of bringing about a mass awareness about road safety through lectures, seminars, writings etc. This was the moment I decided to take the mode of spreading awareness through writing and lecturing.
So I started to prepare my presentation over how to bring awareness among my students meanwhile I noted down all. I proposed first to invoke the minds of the students towards the word ‘SAFETY’ so I framed some questions which I planned to ask them- Why Safety is important or Safety for what?
Then making them realize that every kind of safety concept or measure is hinting towards something special i.e., ‘Life’. As life is really precious and we all are obliged to save it. You have a single chance/opportunity to enjoy the ‘beauty of life’ and ‘the beautiful life’, you have a single chance to know and appreciate the creator of this life through this life, you have a single go to know why the life was created and why it is to be cherished, you have a single chance to serve the humanity and Almighty through empathy and gratitude. This approach changed my approach towards life itself as I started loving it.
Sometimes you may be surrounded by so many issues/problems, Infact very common and immediate to you all, but u may not be aware about them and you may end up doing nothing about these. It may be because of your ignorance or a weak will. These may appear to you as very normal, routine and simple things, but, sometimes may prove very dangerous. I will point to some immediate and local issues these days here in Kashmir (especially the case of South Kashmir)-Since we have to bring awareness about ‘Road Safety’, I came out through our lanes and bylanes (of villages and gali mohalas) as coming/reaching on the road itself was too challenging and daunting these days. I noticed too many dangers ‘above my head and below’. Here I am discussing some:
1. Icicles hanging from the rooftops: They look catchy, pretty, and pleasant for eyes. Isn’t that? But imagine if they fall upon me, you or over someone with the pointed side piercing deep into the eyes while we may be enjoying their scene? Imagine the level of pain, and harm they could inflict,imagine how deep they could penetrate into your eyes or spine.Attractive/pleasant ‘looking’ things don’t guarantee your safety. As someone has rightly put it, “Har koi chamkney wali cheez sona nahi hoti” (All that glitters is not gold). You have to save yourself. So remove those icicles which you might find dangerous for anyone among us. Walk carefully as the snow hanging from the roofs and rooftops has already consumed many lives.
2. Slippery Lanes and Roads-Though we all might have enjoyed the ‘Rekennei Lamm– snow cum icy slopes’ in our childhood but we are forgetting the accidents we might have witnessed. Slippery roads and accidents are directly proportional (these days the frequency of this relationship has been accelerated). Slipping,falling and then the associated pains -Physical, psychological, mental, and In Fact the one which we don’t want to admit-the social pain (I don’t know how/when/why this stigma got attached with the fall?). Injuries may be minor ( in mine case) but they could be serious ones like bone fractures , paralysis if it is a spine injury or God forbid, also Death. So what to do in this aspect, any idea? Ok wait. I have some tips.
· Walk slowly, don’t run.
· Avoid going outside unnecessarily early in the morning and late in the evening (Visibility is less and ice become icier)
· Wear proper shoes and wear shoes properly (my example above is good enough to understand)
· Don’t talk while you walk. Yes I am talking about phones. Focus on the road instead on whatsapp and facebook.
· Take and give support. You may take the help of a stick, help of the wall, ropes etc. (if available). Prefer to walk over rougher surfaces than slippery ones. Take the help of others and don’t hesitate and escape when others may need your hand too.
· Category of people like kids, elderly, sick and pregnant ladies should avoid coming out these days unnecessarily, still if u see any try your best to help them where you feel you can. As everybody’s safety should be our priority, not only ours.
· Don’t think ‘Dal’ seems dull these days, it can sink you in. Don’t try to show heroism by playing cricket and driving cars over the icy Dal Lake. It will reveal your insanity instead. Prefer indoor games, read some good moral stories, and try some mind games with your children.
3. Transport- Public vs. Private/personal:Finally we are able to come to our topic-The Roads and how safe they are .These days it seems that private transport and the snow tight roads is a deadly combination. Traffic jams and the other inconveniences like frequent driver fights over ego clashes, hitting and scratching of the dearer cars, public outrage, stuck ambulances, missing exams, late to the offices and especially the ‘Headache’ (very bad Migraine) are the direct outcomes of this recipe. Sometimes we make prayers/faryaad (while being stuck in traffic) ‘Jayye tu kaha jaye tere dharr k siva Maulaaa’ OMG: There is a way-out.What it may be? Any guesses? Yes. Avoid private/personal transport as much as you can. Your cars need a brake (break). Plus you and others may equally enjoy and benefit by this ‘new’ experience. You may reach to your office on time, no student may miss her/his paper, an ambulance may take his patient to the hospital on time, no more ‘JaggdayDakky”, and more beautiful is the occasion of ‘sociability’ and connectivity which you might enjoy while sharing the same bus or sumo. But, please enjoy the talk and the journey with the other mates keeping your mouth and nose covered with the masks (as we are yet to get vaccinated). You may be benefited (others too) by paying for this ride. You may won a greater degree of satisfaction as among other things you might be saving your car fuel(which gets an upper limit these days) and supporting an environmental friendly move, and through this experience of experiencing the old taste of ‘commonlife’ (when u were not having a personal car) the feeling of empathy and respect may seem priceless. One more thing ‘please drive carefully and slowly’. My father gave me this lesson while he used to teach me ‘How to Drive Safe?’ I often repeat his words “In case of driving you would not get the second chance, your first mistake may be your last one.” The theory that you learn from your mistakes seems a contradiction here.
4. Uncleared roadsides and the blocked drainages: Since roadsides are still uncleared and elevated/peaked by the snow (both of the roads and of the roof tops), so we have to come up with some solutions to both of these issues. I am seeing many people carrying Shovels (beelcha) in their vehicles these days which seems very interesting and indeed helpful. Meanwhile a little bit of volunteerism is required here. I saw youth at many places doing social service which is very appreciative. What makes me happier is that I am seeing many with ‘shovels’ clearing snow from roads, clearing drainages (if anywhere they could find any evidence of the drainage) making sideways and helping the stuck vehicles pass. We can’t thrust (or even trust) everything and anything upon the ‘other’ agency. Each one has to play its role ( its part of the whole) be it at the individual, group, societal and administrative levels. We all need to have a much more social, civic and ‘now’ administerial sensitivity among us.
At last I would like to say that no winter or chillai kalan lasts forever, as spring is near. But with this different approach and with all these and many other smaller steps we can make this life beautiful and easier, we can solve many of our problems and could save many lives. We discussed earlier how beautiful and precious this life is!!!!!! SO, Make it safer and make it easier because, “Yei Zindagi Na mileyge Dobara”.
Author is Asst. Professor at Govt. Degree College Kulgam and NSS Programme Officer (Girls Unit). She can be reached at Bilkees777@gmail.com
