Let’s give road safety a chance...
fortunately belong to a generation which is witnessing the country’s best ever times. Affluent dads and mums, bright future and no I dearth of money to flaunt; hardly anybody has a problem, and one shouldn’t have it either. Zooming GDPs, Bull on the run and retarded morality! Oh, is the last one the odd one out? Think again!
I am not talking about the rising crime rate here, but the alarming number of road accidents. We live in a world where we have some of the fastest machines with the finest layers of tarmac. But unfortunately, we also have the worst possible accident rates recorded anywhere in the world.
I come back to morality. Indeed whenever there’s an accident, there’s slaughter of morality. Yes, the basic principles of life. The discipline of being a human being has been lost somewhere. Sad, but true when I see my own friends go berserk on their steeds, intoxicated and caring the least about their lives; forget about others.
In the last 14 years, I have seen Bangalore mushrooming into one of the most sought after places in the country, but the progress has its own shortcomings. The death toll due to accidents on Bangalore- Mysore highways alone has gone up more than 300 percent after remodelling of the stretch that connects the city to Mysore. Approximately 100,000 people die every year in India b e c a u s e o f ro a d accidents. My bet would be that no more than 100 set out to die. I certainly don't want to be part of the other 99,900 people!
To be frank, there have been times when I have succumbed to my peer’s pressure to ride ridiculously fast. I have also witnessed some of the most brutal accidents out there with the most dim-witted mistakes people make.
Helmet, a must for any biker is still not considered as part of one’s biking set up in India, ditto with seat belts. Most of us swear by the bikes we own, but how much do we devote to a proper riding gear? We love to travel to far-flung Maddur for a cup of coffee; well past midnight. Perhaps the reason why for many of us the route has more significance than the destination!
We have world class roads, the best machines, the best technology, but do we have the right attitude in us? I guess its time we spare a thought for road discipline as we remember the many lives snuffed out on these roads. Leaving these provoking thoughts, let’s come back to our campus. It’s again that time of the year when we look forward to the ‘happy endings’ as well as welcoming our new friends. It’s also the occasion when we pay tribute to our sentinel on the Founder’s Day.
This month, another extravagance awaits you. Celebrating the Founder’s Day, we take you around some of the best things on the campus.
Along with the regulars, columnist Isha Majumder tells us about attaining nirvana through Yoga. Shampa Saha on the other hand speaks about one of the most gruesome ailments which can happen to any woman –Breast Cancer. Deepali Desai shares with the readers her meeting with the youth icon, Chetan Bhagat. A crowd of familiar faces will also bid adieu to our campus this season. Some or the other way, they have made our institution proud through their guidance to most of us. I sincerely thank them for their invaluable role and wish them luck for their upcoming endeavours. At the same time, let me extend my heartiest greetings to the students who will be joining the GCC family this year.
Happy Founder’s Day and fulfilling vacations!
Rahul Devnath Issue Editor
