RAJ GONSALVES

Practice What You Preach

Often we are told to practice what we preach, but does that really happen? The rules and laws regulating the traffic are made by bureaucrats and politicians, and then, the responsibility to ensure their implementation is with the traffic police. 

Going by the saying: ‘practice what you preach’, the first people to respect these should be bureaucrats, politicians and the cops; however, does it actually happen? It’s left to your discretion to go and see how the “VIPs” move on the roads, see the vehicles which have “Govt. Of India” written on it, observe the police vans moving on the road. Do all these people respect the traffic rules? As the responsibility of the people who make these laws is higher, the penalty or punishment for violating or breaking these rules should also be higher. 

In my view, for any traffic rule violation, the highest penalty must be for the politicians; after them, the bureaucrats should come on the list, followed by the traffic cops, then the government commercial vehicles, then commercial vehicles, the government private vehicles, and then, the private vehicles. 

The highest level of the penalty must be imposed on the people in category one, and least on the people in the last category. 

When we propose it, the people argue that our Constitution treats everyone equally and doesn’t have a provision for a differential treatment for the same crime, but, if we observe minutely, then yes! Our Constitution doesn’t differentiate between anyone on basis of cast creed or colour. But, there are provisions for differential treatment based on age, for example: below 18 years we don’t get the driving license and we don’t get the right to vote. Similarly, there are rules which differentiate on the basis of region. Many states have their own rules when it comes to buying a property.  Then why can’t we have differential rules for traffic violations? If the people making the law actually respect the law, then others will follow.

Remember, the stairs are always cleaned upside down and never downside up. If the society has given you a special privilege by electing you as a representative, then your responsibility and behaviour must be exemplary for others to follow. 

Let’s make our Roads Safe!