Wearing helmet not a matter of choice, but life

Those not wearing helmet should be fined. It will make them understand the value of their lives. These rules help ensure safe commuting by reducing accidents. Penalty should be imposed for the violation of the directive. 

Anhad Kaur, Chandigarh

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Defer challaning drive 

Women are not accustomed to wearing helmet, especially the Sikh women. It will be too early to start a challaning drive. At least, the drive should be deferred by two months. Meanwhile, mass awareness should be created by usual methods, including announcements at light points.

Renu Rajinder Pal Singh, Chandigarh

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Always wear good   quality helmet

No doubt, it’s a wise step. But mere wearing a helmet can’t guarantee your safety. To ensure safety, ISI-marked helmets should be made mandatory. Local-made helmets break up easily. But standardised helmets can prevent head injuries. 

Anju Behl, Chandigarh

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Laudable move

The decision of the Chandigarh Administration should be welcomed. Presently, a large number of women don’t use helmet. Its adoption will take some time. The challaning drive should, therefore, be put on hold for at least a month. 

RPS Chopra , Mani Majra

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Implement the           decision strictly

The move to make helmet compulsory has been welcomed by women and other residents. It needs to be implemented strictly to save precious lives. Violators should be challaned. However, some grace period should be given, during which commuters should be made aware of the rule and its benefits. 

Bharat Bhushan Sharma

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Avoid rash driving

My uncle, who was 48, expired in 1986 in a road accident as he did not wear a helmet. He remained hospitalised for 20 days. Can you imagine his agony? People should be told to avoid rash driving. Parents and teachers must take full responsibility in this regard. Schools should make children aware of its negatives. 

Nirmla Devi, Naraingarh

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Law equal for all 

Definitely, women driving or riding pillion without helmet should be challaned. Mishaps do not differentiate between men and and women.  Death of a woman is devastating for any family. The law has been passed earlier, so there is no need for further sensitisation. Law is equal for all.  All women must follow the rule and abide by it. The authorities should be watchful to ensure that all women drive or ride pillion with their helmet on. It may take some time, but slowly all women will become habitual of wearing helmet. It will bring the death rate in road accidents down.

Rashi Srivastava, Chandigarh

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Cops should enforce  order strictly

Driving or riding pillion without helmet is against the rules. There is no question of spreading awareness. It is a punishable offence and it should be considered that way only. The traffic police should take the order seriously. Wearing helmet will be good for women. 

Parveen Kumar

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Safety comes first 

Helmet should be mandatory for two-wheeler riders. Safety comes first. The UT Administration should give some time to women to buy helmet. Wearing of helmet should be made compulsory from August 1. All two-wheeler riders must wear helmet for their own safety. 

RK Kapoor, Chandigarh

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Good decision

Those riding pillion are at risk too so they too need to wear helmet. Once made mandatory, violators should be fined. Two-wheeler riding is always risky. Taking safety measures is always good. 

Opinder Kaur Sekhon, Chandigarh

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Implement order 

It is a welcome step as the Chandigarh Administration has made the helmet compulsory for all women riders. Moreover, complying with the norms is in our own interest. To accomplish this Herculean task, all women should wear helmet. Those still adamant need to be challaned to ensure that the decision is implemented in toto.

SK Khosla, Chandigarh

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Spread awareness first

It is a welcome decision. Those riding pillion should also use it. There were women who used to wear helmet even when it was not made mandatory. Instant challaning will not be fair. Spread awareness first. 

MR Bhateja, Nayagaon

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Step in right direction

Making helmet mandatory is a step in the right direction as it will bring down mishap deaths. The imposition of fine immediately after notification is not justified. The Administration and the police should give some time to women. Sikh religious bodies should convince women to wear turban as it is an identity of a proud Sikh. 

Sukhpal Singh

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Give priority to safety 

A two-pronged strategy should be used. While two-wheeler drivers should be fined for the violation, those riding pillion should be counselled to wear helmet. There should be a balance between the enforcement of a rule and one’s convenience. Priority should be public safety. Two-wheeler riders should not be harassed. 

Priya Darsh Growar, Mohali

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Mke people aware                   of decision

Although all tricity residents use the Internet and other relevant gadgets, still a large number of people have no knowledge about the development. Hence, initially, an awareness campaign must be started. 

Gurjinder Singh

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Tell people about                      its benefits 

Generally, tricity residents are wise. They understand the value of  helmet.  Young boys and girls do not wear it. They feel it will kill their personality. The Chandigarh Administration is obeying the order of the High Court and taking strict action against the violators. The women too are busy purchasing new helmets. A majority of women agree with the decision for their safety. The traffic police should also arrange camps to recount its benefits. The women should wear helmet for their own safety. 

Sumesh Kumar Badhwar, Mohali

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Delay action                    against violators

There is a no need to challan people immediately. It is better to make people aware of the decision. As college admissions are under way, student from outside don’t know the rules and regulations of Chandigarh. They need time to learn these. Therefore, awareness should be spread first.

Vinod Shetty

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Implementation of           order holds the key

It is a good move. However, its implementation holds the key. Rise in deaths due to mishaps is a concern. Two-wheeler riders are more vulnerable to mishaps due to head injuries. Now, when Sikh turbaned women have been exempted, all others should be challened. The police should launch an awareness drive in this regard. 

Vidya Sagar Garg, Panchkula

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Abide by directions

Sikh women need more time to think over it and and adopt it, which is in their interest. In foreign countries, it is compulsory even for the children riding a bicycle. There, everybody follows the rules and regulations. So, we should also abide by the order. 

Tarlok Singh, Mani Majra

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Leave it to women’s discretion 

Sikh women have genuine reservations as wearing any headgear other than Keski is against the Sikh tenants. Well, Sikh women supporting Keski are fine, while for others it may be left to their discretion/choice. As safety comes first, some measure should be taken to ensure it. They may use crash helmet. But it should not be used just to hoodwink the police. It should be of good quality. 

SS Arora, Mohali

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Take Sikh community   into confidence

As happened in the past, the Sikh community has expressed resentment in a peaceful manner. Before issuing challans, it would be in the interest of all if the  Administration holds a dialogue  with  Sikh leaders to convince them about its benefits. A viable solution should be found to flare up of religious sentiments at the state or national level, which may disturb the  peaceful atmosphere and create a law and order problem.

AS Ahuja, Chandigarh

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Don’t compel women

Wearing helmet should be left to the will of two-wheeler riders. It is not compulsory in many states. No two-wheeler rider should be challaned. Two-wheeler riders without helmet do not create any problem for others. people should not be compelled. 

Sohan Lal Gupta, Patiala

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Ensure no exceptions

The realisation has to come from within. Let’s make wearing helmet compulsory for everyone, irrespective of their religion.  Parents must ensure that their daughters wear helmet. The police should not hesitate while imposing fine on violators. Children below 18 should not be allowed to drive. Let’s be road safety conscious and abide by traffic rules.

RD Singh, Ambala Cantt

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Ensure people follow traffic regulations

More time should be given to women to abide by the decision. It is not right to ask Sikh women to wear helmet as it is against tenets of their religion. However, they can wear it voluntarily. They can be asked to keep identity cards for identification. Sikhism should be understood at least in their own state and country. Even foreign nations have allowed them to wear religious symbols such as kirpan after years’ of struggle by recognising their sentiments. Most road accident deaths occur due to traffic violations and speeding. More attention need to be paid to these aspects.

IPS Anand, Gurugram  

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Engage with religious leaders

Ideally, wearing a protective headgear like helmet is necessary to avoid a fatal injury in a mishap. But since religious mandate against wearing a hat by a Sikh is cited to oppose the decision, it will be advisable to engage with religious leaders of the community to devise a way out.

Pawan Kumar Bansal, former Union Minister 

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Give women time to go for change 

The women should be given sufficient time before the police start a drive to challlan the violators. As most deaths in road mishaps occur due to head injuries, making the helmet mandatory is a step in the right direction.

Harmohan Dhawan, former Union Minister 

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Good decision

It has been a good decision. While the decision should be  implemented in toto,  I think some time should be given to the women to buy helmet. After that, violators should be fined. 

Sanjay Tandon, Chandigarh BJP president

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Exempt Sikh women

Sikh women should be exempted from wearing helmet as it is against their religion. The Sikh code of conduct prohibits wearing of caps, hats and helmets. This was the basic reason why the Sikhs were earlier exempted. 

Hardeep Singh, Chandigarh SAD president

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Begin awareness campaign

Starting a challan drive without giving sufficient time to the women is not justified. The police should begin an awareness drive, informing the women regarding the law and its benefits. Only then, the drive should be started.

Pardeep Chhbara, Chandigarh Congress president

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Don’t hasten to act against violators 

The Sikh women should be exempted from wearing  helmet. They should be allowed to arrange headgear, something like their male counterparts wear. Till then, no challan drive should be started. As far as the women of the other religions are concerned, they should also be given sufficient time before the police start the challan drive.

Harjinder Kaur, former Chandigarh Mayor

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Will tell women about its need

We will sensitise the women to the need for helmet for some more days. It takes time for such a big change to take place. We need to give some more time to spread the word. We would be happy if women adopt this rule on their own. This is a landmark moment for the UT. People must welcome the move. Without it, we cannot think of reducing deaths due to road mishaps to zero. 

Shashank Anand, SSP (Traffic)

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All should abide by law

Making the helmet compulsory has been a demand for long. Now, as a notification has been issued in this regard, everyone should abide by it. The law should be respected. I think   reasonable time should be given to make women aware of the notification. 

Satya Pal Jain, former Chandigarh MP

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COMMENT
Without any bias, make it a must for all

Nitin Jain

Is there any difference between the skull of a male or female? This is what the Punjab and Haryana High Court asked the Chandigarh Administration in March while questioning how the Administration had exempted women from wearing the headgear while driving or riding pillion.

Acting swiftly, the UT Administration has finally made helmet compulsory for all women, including Sikhs, driving or riding pillion in the city, the exception being the Sikh women wearing turban. But this has made leaders and representatives of the Sikh community once again rake up and press the old issue that Sikh women—-wearing turban or not—-be exempted from it.

The UT traffic police have made it clear that for the next few days women without headgear would be only sensitised about the need to wear one and won’t be challaned. The law-abiding people have already started wearing helmet and others seem to be out on the buying binge. For, they know that sensitisation drive won’t last long.

Earlier in July 1998, when the High Court had made helmet compulsory for all while issuing a slew of directions on traffic regulation and road safety, it had led to vociferous protests by Sikh women, who had even marched up to the High Court soon after the judgment.  Following the protests, the UT Administration exempted all women riders from wearing helmet.

A timeless saying has it that if we don’t learn from our mistakes, we end up committing them again. Learning lessons from the past, the UT Administration should act tough against the women riding away from the law by not wearing helmet. The ostensible objective is to protect those riding two-wheelers so that even in case of a mishap, the helmet spares them serious head injury.

The UT Administration would do well to weigh the option of making helmet compulsory for children as well keeping in view the High Court’s observation, “Is there any difference between the skull of a male and a female?” This begs for a no less potent and pertinent question: What is the difference between the skull of an adult and child?   

QUESTION

To which state Chandigarh belongs—Punjab or Haryana? Recently, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar demanded a statutory body for the homogeneous development of Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula while his Punjab counterpart Capt Amarinder Singh categorically rejected the proposal, saying Chandigarh indisputably belonged to Punjab. What should be done to resolve this emotive issue once for all? Suggestions in not more than 70 words can be sent to [email protected]