Mrs Sonali Kalbhairav and her 5-year-old son Pushkar were purchasing toys on the road opposite Military Mahadev mandir when a speeding milk tanker hit the side of the pavement causing severe injuries to the toy seller, mother, and the 5-year-old.
Pushkar, unconscious is still in the ICU today after 7 days and has undergone brain surgery. His mother sustained multiple fractures, but luckily no head injuries.
We all cry while watching movies like Chichore, where we see young lives battling grave miseries. The young one has had episodes of high fever and epilepsy (fits), just like it is shown in the movies. While we shed a tear when we watch things happening on screen, what do we do, or how do we react to what has happened in real life? Like in the case of Pushkar.
Helmet: the importance of helmet boils down to “avoiding a traffic police”. We act as if we are being harassed if we are forced to wear a helmet. Don’t we?
Today, the helmet that the mother had saved her despite being dragged by the vehicle and falling from a height after the vehicle hit her. Sadly, Pushkar who had been asking for a mini helmet from his father, didn’t get one and now battling in the ICU.
This was the message that Sonali in her painful state told me and requested to have it told to the entire Belagavi. In her drowsy condition, she also mentioned how students riding triple seat ride on the wrong side of the road just to avoid going 100 meters ahead to take a U-turn.
Parents wanting their children to be ethical and moral citizens of tomorrow are themselves seen rising 2 wheelers without a rearview mirror, helmet, and indicator on the wrong side of the road.
Such posts only get sad emojis, a few shares, and some discussion over evening chai. But the gravity is only understood by those lying in the hospital who start trembling when the nurse comes in and says “Who is Pushkar’s relative?”
Sometimes, we are punished for no mistake of ours, yet we need to be careful. This is not a fundraiser, but a prayer that better sense prevails.
The biggest problem is, those who don’t follow rules, don’t read anything. They are least bothered about everything rather. We read and feel pity about the downgrading status of our society. We can not make anyone understand the importance of rules unless they themselves wish to understand fatality of the situations they create.