Of late we see a spate of activity in Kohima town where police personnel have started hauling up vehicles with illegal number plates. An editorial the other day commented that the Police are indeed not as toothless as pointed out by certain sections of society. However, for a few hauled, dozens are let off scot-free. Whether it is because there too many such cases for our very small force, or as is the nature of human beings, known persons are excused, we wouldn’t know!!
The SP of Kohima, sometime in the recent past, issued an order wherein the V-VIP’s were also directed to follow traffic rules. Have we seen any change? Nothing …. as yet!! The V/VIP’s are the primary violators of all laid-down rules. They have scant respect for anybody. These are the people who are always rushing to office or for other engagements by overtaking everyone else, even forcibly through narrow lanes; perhaps there are no other busy people in their fiefdom. Their police escorts, mostly tyrants breathing fire down necks, use abusive language and intimidate anyone who delays in giving them passage. Given the opportunity they are on a bashing spree, the common man at the receiving end. Sometimes we wonder if the government has, for certain operations recruited goons, where the common man may be trampled and intimidated into submission.
Taking a cue from these respectable escorted gentlemen who are the busiest people this side of Asia, private vehicles and all sorts of petty officers with government number plates also jump the queue.
Then we see police vehicles that are not even escorts, jumping the lane. We complain about the notoriety of some of the Taxi and City Bus drivers but even these guys can learn a thing or two in REAL RASH DRIVING from many of the police drivers. I wonder what would happen if we, the common man, also jumped traffic!!
We are so in love with HUGE NAME PLATES and RED LIGHTS that everyone who is of a certain status should have them otherwise the common man would not know who the concerned V-VIP is. In this list are also found such high-profile people as PA’s to DC’s, Presidents of various organizations, … and the list goes on. We also have numerous habitual offenders who have extended the same facility to their private vehicles. Where are the concerned agencies who are supposed to prevent this? There have been numerous orders passed to this effect, if my memory hasn’t failed me.
Then there is the other PRESTIGE ISSUE area of misusing the police department by way of getting 2/3/4 vehicles loaded with police personnel to escort our precious V-VIP’s. These numerous ESCORT VEHICLES add to the traffic woes of our highly congested streets. This also means that there are not enough trained personnel to police our highways, streets, shopping zones, colonies, etc. to prevent kidnapping, extortion, harassment of varied sorts, etc. One wonders how many of these honourable gentlemen are really in the Z- or whatever category to deserve such escorts. What we do know for sure is that most of these people are the reason why we are so acutely underdeveloped. Of course, there are those who will readily vouch for the (fake/tampered) WRITTEN RECORDS OF DEVELOPMENT which is exceedingly high in our state.
Then we also have a collection of the most offensively stupid drivers ever seen anywhere; a rare bunch of idiots who do not have 'CIVIC SENSE' in their dictionaries. They (GOONS in a few cases) park anywhere they want, sometimes leaving their vehicles unattended in the middle of streets, causing unnecessary traffic jams or narrowing of the already narrow roads; driving between vehicles in such places is very unsafe as you may end up scratching/denting your own vehicle or any of the illegally and/or legally parked vehicles. Most of such offensive parking is under the very nose of the concerned agencies, near TRAFFIC POINTS and in front of NO PARKING signboards. If examples are necessary please check the road leading to the High School at the High School-Secretariat junction, the Imphal-Science College road bifurcation above the Sahitya Sabha Hall, etc. before, after, and during office hours. Yes, we do see a lot of men in uniform but it appears it is not their duty. One wonders whose job it is.
Another bunch of idiots running loose on our streets are those who have not been educated in the concept of DIPPER at night. They love to drive on FULL BEAM - who cares if the driver coming from the opposite direction is blinded momentarily, or is sent packing out of this life forever!!
About a decade back the concerned department announced that very dark windshield sunscreens are illegal. Some law abiding citizens immediately removed the dark screens (some brand new) and got the legally permitted transparent screens on windows at great cost, only to realize that it was only a few who complied to the rule. There are still a large fleet of vehicles both private and government, that still have the illegal dark screens. The biggest culprit is probably, the V-VIP, who with all his escort still has to hide behind dark glasses like a fugitive. After all, isn’t it some of the V-VIP vehicles that have been involved in illegal maneuvers in the past?
We simply love the mobile for revolutionizing our way of life. But believe me, cold sweat ran down my spine on a few occasions when mobile-talking drivers nearly crashed into me. They are a hazard to other vehicles and the innocent pedestrians minding their own business on the sides of streets. This breed of drivers abound on our roads and are openly there for everyone to see but the concerned enforcement agencies are least bothered, though orders barring mobile usage while driving have been issued from time to time.
While appreciating a number of conscientious policemen and other government servants around, we definitely would like to see the concerned agencies tone up and produce better results for a safer and better Nagaland where the common man can also live with dignity.
(Prof. G.T. Thong)
Nagaland University
The SP of Kohima, sometime in the recent past, issued an order wherein the V-VIP’s were also directed to follow traffic rules. Have we seen any change? Nothing …. as yet!! The V/VIP’s are the primary violators of all laid-down rules. They have scant respect for anybody. These are the people who are always rushing to office or for other engagements by overtaking everyone else, even forcibly through narrow lanes; perhaps there are no other busy people in their fiefdom. Their police escorts, mostly tyrants breathing fire down necks, use abusive language and intimidate anyone who delays in giving them passage. Given the opportunity they are on a bashing spree, the common man at the receiving end. Sometimes we wonder if the government has, for certain operations recruited goons, where the common man may be trampled and intimidated into submission.
Taking a cue from these respectable escorted gentlemen who are the busiest people this side of Asia, private vehicles and all sorts of petty officers with government number plates also jump the queue.
Then we see police vehicles that are not even escorts, jumping the lane. We complain about the notoriety of some of the Taxi and City Bus drivers but even these guys can learn a thing or two in REAL RASH DRIVING from many of the police drivers. I wonder what would happen if we, the common man, also jumped traffic!!
We are so in love with HUGE NAME PLATES and RED LIGHTS that everyone who is of a certain status should have them otherwise the common man would not know who the concerned V-VIP is. In this list are also found such high-profile people as PA’s to DC’s, Presidents of various organizations, … and the list goes on. We also have numerous habitual offenders who have extended the same facility to their private vehicles. Where are the concerned agencies who are supposed to prevent this? There have been numerous orders passed to this effect, if my memory hasn’t failed me.
Then there is the other PRESTIGE ISSUE area of misusing the police department by way of getting 2/3/4 vehicles loaded with police personnel to escort our precious V-VIP’s. These numerous ESCORT VEHICLES add to the traffic woes of our highly congested streets. This also means that there are not enough trained personnel to police our highways, streets, shopping zones, colonies, etc. to prevent kidnapping, extortion, harassment of varied sorts, etc. One wonders how many of these honourable gentlemen are really in the Z- or whatever category to deserve such escorts. What we do know for sure is that most of these people are the reason why we are so acutely underdeveloped. Of course, there are those who will readily vouch for the (fake/tampered) WRITTEN RECORDS OF DEVELOPMENT which is exceedingly high in our state.
Then we also have a collection of the most offensively stupid drivers ever seen anywhere; a rare bunch of idiots who do not have 'CIVIC SENSE' in their dictionaries. They (GOONS in a few cases) park anywhere they want, sometimes leaving their vehicles unattended in the middle of streets, causing unnecessary traffic jams or narrowing of the already narrow roads; driving between vehicles in such places is very unsafe as you may end up scratching/denting your own vehicle or any of the illegally and/or legally parked vehicles. Most of such offensive parking is under the very nose of the concerned agencies, near TRAFFIC POINTS and in front of NO PARKING signboards. If examples are necessary please check the road leading to the High School at the High School-Secretariat junction, the Imphal-Science College road bifurcation above the Sahitya Sabha Hall, etc. before, after, and during office hours. Yes, we do see a lot of men in uniform but it appears it is not their duty. One wonders whose job it is.
Another bunch of idiots running loose on our streets are those who have not been educated in the concept of DIPPER at night. They love to drive on FULL BEAM - who cares if the driver coming from the opposite direction is blinded momentarily, or is sent packing out of this life forever!!
About a decade back the concerned department announced that very dark windshield sunscreens are illegal. Some law abiding citizens immediately removed the dark screens (some brand new) and got the legally permitted transparent screens on windows at great cost, only to realize that it was only a few who complied to the rule. There are still a large fleet of vehicles both private and government, that still have the illegal dark screens. The biggest culprit is probably, the V-VIP, who with all his escort still has to hide behind dark glasses like a fugitive. After all, isn’t it some of the V-VIP vehicles that have been involved in illegal maneuvers in the past?
We simply love the mobile for revolutionizing our way of life. But believe me, cold sweat ran down my spine on a few occasions when mobile-talking drivers nearly crashed into me. They are a hazard to other vehicles and the innocent pedestrians minding their own business on the sides of streets. This breed of drivers abound on our roads and are openly there for everyone to see but the concerned enforcement agencies are least bothered, though orders barring mobile usage while driving have been issued from time to time.
While appreciating a number of conscientious policemen and other government servants around, we definitely would like to see the concerned agencies tone up and produce better results for a safer and better Nagaland where the common man can also live with dignity.
(Prof. G.T. Thong)
Nagaland University
