Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 4: With more and more youngsters riding motorcycles without wearing helmets, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said their parents and the civil society should inculcate the spirit of ‘safety first’ among them to avoid unnecessary loss of life.
“I accept that the Government has a responsibility. We need to increase the penetration of traffic police, but the biggest responsibility lies on the motorcyclist himself… I think the people first have to play their role in this,” Omar said in the Legislative Council.
“Parents have to ask their children that you cannot move out of the house without wearing a helmet. The civil society has to play its role and more so, the motorcyclist himself because everyone loves his life,” he said.
Replying to a question of Congress MLC Ghulam Nabi Monga on the steps taken by the Government to check the menace of youngsters not wearing helmets while riding, the Chief Minister said the Government will “try to do whatever it takes to check the menace”.
“We will try to do whatever it takes to check the menace. But, if someone wants to play with his life, then after a certain point the Government cannot be blamed for it. If it has to be checked fully, then the motorcyclist has to fulfil his responsibility,” he said.
Omar said not wearing a helmet is a biggest sign of “stupidity”.
“Unfortunately, youngsters think that not wearing a helmet is a sign of manhood… That I am a man if I do not wear a helmet and the one who does is weak. I think not wearing a helmet is a biggest sign of stupidity,” he said.
“Whom are you doing a favour on by wearing a helmet? It is on you. What effect can wearing a helmet or not would have Government? The direct effect of not wearing it will be on you and then on your family members,” Omar said referring to the youngsters.
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