Best wishes to the women on International Women’s Day 2022

Women used to be ignored by the men and the logic used to be – “they should be seen and not heard.” Their responsibilities used to be divided between the kitchen and the bedroom. Even in the movies of pre 1970s, women seldom appeared in the posters. The men dominated movies. However, today in the 21st century there are women like Madhuri Dixit, Deepika Padukone, Hema Malini, Aishwarya Rai and Priyanka Chopra who call the shots. There used to be a time when women worked as domestic helps or as nurses in hospitals. Today, the world is their stage. They can be seen at work in the police, armed forces, banks, colleges and even in the world of fashion and cricket. To them, the sky is the limit – literally. They occupy the cockpits and fly as pilots to different destinations.

When it comes to the arena of politics, many women can outwit the males. Examples are Sonia Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Nirmala Sitharaman, Smriti Irani etcetera. The bottom line is – women are powerful and deserve respect. They are no longer helpless and have the ability to reach the peak in any field.

The Citizen Journalist as a watchman

Yes, this best sums up the work of a CJ. He always keeps his eyes open to happenings around him. Like – when on the road he sees people who flout the basic norms of safety while foot or on vehicles. The regular machinery of the law keeps watch on those who over speed or break traffic rules but to create awareness on safe walking and driving you have to be alert and observe whatever appears to be wrong –

See if the drivers of two wheeler wear helmets, if there is a pillion rider, he or she also should wear the head gear to protect the head in case of accidents – there should not be a third person. The driver must possess a valid driving license as well have all documents related to the vehicle with him.

Check out those driving four wheelers – they must fasten their seat belts; they should have all documents of the vehicle as well the papers and be in possession of valid driving license. They should also have a first aid kit with them.

Watch out for pedestrians – they must use the footpaths or sidewalks, they must cross roads at the designated location identified by the zebra crossings, and they must queue up in an orderly manner at the bus stops. Where there is an encroachment of the footpaths or sidewalks, bring that to the notice of civic authorities. Support your facts with photographs and statements of locals for ore authenticity and better effects.

In case you happen to see any accident taking place, you should not hesitate to offer help. If it pertains to a hit and run case or rash driving, note down the registration number of the vehicle and inform the police.