Traffic cops get sterner

After lying low for the first few days of the new year, the Delhi Traffic Police has started challaning errant drivers on a war footing. In the last three days, the cops have issued more than 6,000 challans for various traffic rule violations.
Along with the new year, the cops have also changed their way of tackling errant drivers. In their ‘Carpet Bombing’-style campaign, they are making sure that no errant driver escapes. Traffic cops are coordinating with each other so that if an errant driver escapes at one place, he is caught at the next place. The Traffic patrol team plays an important role here. “They can’t escape,” a senior traffic police officer said.
Various teams have been formed to prosecute different categories of vehicles like — private cars, TSRs and commercial vehicles. Apart from that, traffic policemen on Pulsar bikes are patrolling the city’s roads to catch offenders.
On Friday, close to 4,000 challans were issued. On Saturday, the cops prosecuted more than 2,000 drivers.
“Our aim is to make the city’s roads safe. We have pledged to make the roads safer than last years. For that we need to educate people and make them understand that following traffic rules is the best way,” a senior traffic police officer said.  
Although the traffic police is keeping an eye on every traffic violation, its focus is on crossing the stop line, unauthorised parking, minor driving and issues related with auto-rickshaws.

Suggest areas that traffic cops should focus their campaign on?

Better halves do better work

Prem, Deepti, Shiv Kauri, and Poonam. They are not contesting Assembly elections but are as busy as candidates. They wake up early and work until late in the night. So who are these women? They are the better halves of some of the contesting candidates. They may not be as well known as their husbands are but their contribution cannot be denied once they win.
Prem Mukhi is the wife of Jagdish Mukhi, leader of the Opposition and BJP candidate from Janakpuri. Campaigning for the elections is not new to her. She has been doing it for close to 30 years now. “We are married for 38 years. I had nothing much to do when he was in college politics but since he is into mainstream politics (since 1977), I, too, have to be active,” she says.
Prem goes for padyatra every day for two to three hours. “I start campaigning at 11 am and it sometimes stretches to two or three hours depending upon the area,” she says. But things are easy now. “Initially, we were given more time between filing the nomination and the day of voting. Campaigning used to be long then. It literally used to be door-to-door but now, because we have less time, we don’t have to go to every house,” she says.
Shiv Kauri, the wife of Speaker Choudhary Prem Singh, is also an old-timer. “I have been doing this for 40 years. My routine gets disturbed but it is part of political life and I enjoy it. I like to be with people. Even at our residence, there are many workers and supporters,” she says.
Prem and Shiv are so tired by the end of the day that they have to take pain-killers. “I go for natural things and chew tulsi leaves,” Shiv Kauri says.
But the Congress candidate and retired IPS Amod Kanth, who is contesting from Sangam Vihar, does not get much support from his shy wife. “Rekha keeps a low profile. She comes out only at times with me for campaigning,” Kanth says.
For Deepti Rawat, the Assembly election is not a first-time experience. But for her husband, Nakul Bhardwaj (BJP candidate from Patparganj), it is. “I contested the Assembly elections from Uttaranchal in February 2007. I am used to padyatras and meetings,” she says.
Did Nakul help her the same way as she is helping him now? “We weren’t married then, so he couldn’t help me,” she reminisces. But today, Deepti is going for padyatras, attending meetings and canvassing for her husband. “I have a six-month-old daughter and her grandmother from Palwal has come to take care of her,” she says.
Poonam Parashar is working 12 hours a day. “We have a group of women who go to every house with a garland of vegetables to make people aware of the price rise during the Congress reign. It is primarily a rural area,” Poonam, the wife of Anil Jha, BJP candidate from Kirari says.
Poonam contested the MCD elections last year. “Anil helped me the same way,” she says. But this time the area is larger and so is the work.

Will wives who were into politics earlier prove better campaigners?

Unholy smoke

The NSUI has launched a crusade to make the DU campus smoke-free. But most students on the campus see an unholy smoke billowing out of the campaign. They feel the campaign is nothing more than just a political gimmick to involve freshers.

While DUSU president Amrita Bahari claims her outfit’s intentions are honest, students feels it is more of a political propaganda than a step towards social change.

The fact that no other student’s union has been made a part of the campaign makes students look askance at it. 

 Others kept out

“We have been completely barred from the campaign although it is supposed to be a DUSU initiative. Despite the fact that our organisation is more than willing to support this campaign we are not being informed about anything officially,” says Vikas Dahiya from ABVP.

Besides having doubts about the real intentions behind this campaign, Vikas also does not approve of the measures being taking to reach the goal.

“Nobody is keeping a daily check. If they involve more people and the police, more smokers can be caught breaking the law every day. It is high time that the banners are dropped and some real groundwork starts.”

“The unions once played a very important role in building the character of the student’s community but now interests have shifted from welfare to injecting hooligans in favour of the mainstream political parties these unions are answerable to,” said a senior professor.

 Hardly any takers

On the campus, there is doubt as to whether any serious work will be undertaken to curb smoking. The students feel it is one of the many promises politicians make, not keep.

“What change does she really refer to when several students can be found smoking in the DUSU office every now and then?” says a student from the Law Faculty.

The students have other pressing issues to deal with. “I am worried about the unhygienic conditions of the washrooms in the college. I think the campus requires cleaner washrooms. Are there any funds granted for that?” says Saurabh, a student.

What do you think of the campaign? Do you think it’ll work? More important, can social change be brought about by political intervention? Would it not be better if it has the approval of the community? Debate.

War against service providers

They promise you the world but fail miserably to deliver. They intrude in your personal lives, refuse to take no for an answer, breach your personal space, remind you of pests…  They are your hopeless service providers.

Have you ever encountered a service roadblock? Felt harassed at the hands of one of them, the service providers, — be it your bank, your phone company, credit card, cablewallah, insurance… We offer you a shoulder to cry on. Share your ordeal with us. Blog in here or mail to us at: delhitalking@gmail.com or interactive@metronow.co.in