My little gratitude to traffic police for their tireless efforts

It was 5^th January 2013, Saturday early morning I reached Traffic Police Park, St. Mark’s Road, where I saw many traffic police constables, equal no. Of Children from various schools, volunteers, auto drivers and Pourakarmikas (people/sweepers on road, garbage pickers who keep our city cleanJ) With a hope and wish to spread some happiness and show my gratitude to traffic police for their tireless efforts in keeping Bangalore city safe, I decided to be part of Traffic Police Day celebrated by CMCA every year.

Let me add some more detail about event and organisation before I go ahead and share my experienceJ

Children’s Movement for Civic Awareness (CMCA) is an 12 year old volunteer driven, civil society organization that conducts a national ‘civic club’ program in schools across India. This systematic and structured intervention is dedicated to moulding and nurturing active citizenship in children and youth across the country! CMCA seeks to sensitize children and youth to civic & democratic issues thereby improving quality & equality of life. This year alone CMCA has reached out to 15,500 children through 261 volunteers working in 289 schools and 364 civic clubs in 6 cities (Bangalore, Mysore, Mumbai, Nagpur, Hosur & Hubli-Dharwad).

CMCA (Children’s Movement for Civic Awareness) has stepped into the 8th year of celebrating Traffic Police Day (TPD) where the children of the city have been acknowledging the traffic constables. This event seeks to celebrate and thank the untiring efforts of the Traffic Police to maintain order amidst chaotic traffic, compounded by the appalling road sense of road users and at the same time ensuring public safety.

Objectives of the event

i.       Sensitise students to the ordeals of the traffic constable and the problems of managing traffic and road safety
ii.      Appreciate and acknowledge the efforts of the traffic constable to ensure safety of road users
iii.     At a broader level, the event will serve as a means of enhancing awareness on the need to follow traffic rules                                                                                                               

Moving ahead with my experience... I reached there quite early and saw few traffic constables and CMCA team arranging the Traffic Police Park, St. Mark’s Road. There were many traffic Constables, 1 or 2 each representing various areas of Bangalore. After a while a bunch of 4-5 kids each from different schools arrived... I could see few Pourakarmikas (sweepers) and also few Auto driver representatives too... The kids and constables seated next to each other in order of 1 kid 1 constable. We all were eagerly waiting for the show to start. As there were few minutes in hand before the Chief Guests arrived, I was requested to manage the show... I so wanted to do this ever since I had heard about thanking traffic police. I always wanted to do few energisers with them and give them a short smiling break. And I was happy I got a chance here. I did few energisers with all of themJ All were very enthu and participated actively... After 10-15 mis we had Chief Guests ( Mr. Ajay Kumar Singh (DG-IGP in 2009 and Mr. M.A.Salim, Addl.Commissioner of Police, Traffic, Bangalore City) on the stage... Their speeches weren’t boring and lengthy but  gave us lot of facts and info like:
·         Just in 2012 in Bangalore 52 lakh cases were registered and Rs 54 crores were collected as fine
·         How much ever infrastructure you get on roads it’s less, Be it CCTV, no. of traffic police or the cones in middle of road... But until and unless we citizens instil the rules in us, we can’t see much impact.
·         It’s not just traffic police duty to protest or question violation of traffic but each one of ours...

In between we have lovely poems by few kids on Traffic Awareness and thanking the traffic police... Followed by this were thanks giving by Auto driver representative and experience sharing by one of traffic constable... I just can’t forget his words, “ Talmeinda (Patiently) we are working and will keep working. This event is like a festival for us”

At the end after thanks giving speech and National Anthem while we were dispersing, I, Vijay, Sankar and Sandhya were interacting with few Traffic constables and thanking them... I felt so honoured when a bunch of Traffic Police thanked me for the break and energisers done... Infact while I asked one of them hope you liked them and got a small break after a short term, the reply was,” I got a short and sweet break after a long long time” I had a plain greeting card in my bag and requested few of them to give their Autograph for the lovely work they have been doing to keep our city safe. Their smiles and happily signing on card moment is still in front of my eyes... And ya not to forget few Traffic constables actually stopped and auto and told auto guy to drop me safely to my destinationJ While I was leaving one of constable came running to ask me my nameJ It was a day full of honour for them and for me too for have brought in some changeJ

Thanks again to Traffic department for keeping city safe and managing so much of traffic in day and night in heat and cold weather and in rain... Thank you!!!!

 

Enjoy viewing few glimpses of my and their happiness at Thankyou to the Traffic Department for keeping city safe