Burning Cars And Stupid People
My name is Kalpana. A weird incident happened earlier this week as i was going home after getting my hair done. I saw a car burning on the road, and i think there was someone inside.
I have seen a lot in my years on Delhi roads, but nothing comes close to this one. Not even the time when i saw four masked men forcibly push a young girl into their Honda Civic (nice car, but i wouldn’t be caught dead in one. Everybody seems to own one these days), but didn’t raise an alarm since i had to leave for the States that night, and didn’t want any complications.
It had been a long week. The husband had been making preparations for an upcoming business trip. I had been busy with the kids, the social circuit, and all the shaadis. Damn November. I attended 5 weddings Monday night and still ended up missing a couple.
Anyways…yesterday the hubby had to go to get his UK visa stamped, and picked me up on the way back. As we were traveling on this busy South Delhi road, i noticed this car that had seemed to erupt in flames all of a sudden. I think there was a couple inside the car, and could see them struggling to get out of the car.
I saw the car behind them stop, and the man inside rushed to their rescue. He tried opening the door of the still burning car with little success. Then he started waving others to stop. Why, i wanted to ask him? You don’t care for your life, and want others too to get their hands burnt (awesome pun..eh? I am convent educated, you know) trying to save a stranger.
Besides, no good ever comes out of being a good Samaritan in these modern times. The police will harass you. You will have to make a million court visits. Anyway, nothing can change fate. If they were destined to be saved then they would have been saved. Why should i waste half an hour of my life over a meaningless cause?
Thankfully this car was in the left lane, or traffic would have gotten totally messed up. You know how Delhi traffic is….one car breaks down and the domino effect ripples down to all surrounding areas resulting in long jams. The honking. The cursing. The cutting in and out of traffic. I take utmost care to be a responsible car owner – my driver has strict instructions not to use the horn more than fifty times in an hour.
Back to the burning car. As we were passing the car, i noticed Mr Braveheart managed to pull the husband out of the car and was trying to help the woman. He didn’t seem to be getting anywhere, but only getting severely burnt himself. Meanwhile nobody else bothered to stop, though traffic had considerably slowed down. Who said Delhi doesn’t care? Everybody’s eyes were focused only on that single car. What’s so bad if people were sensible enough not to endanger their own lives and add to the already existing problems.
I am famous in the circuit as being a strong willed, brave soul. The husband though, is a weakling. He actually considered stopping and helping, but i told the driver not to even think about it. Emotions! Another word for dumbness, i tell you.
Later on they said in news reports that the man got saved but the woman died. Apparently the fire was so intense that her burnt body melted into the car seat. Horrifying!
Now they say that Delhi didn’t care to help. Why should Delhi care? There are so many people in the city. If Delhi started stopping for every minor incident, then nothing will ever get done.
People come and People go. Who the hell cares!
(Author’s note: Kalpana is just a fictional character. Any resemblance to a living person is a mere, and rather startling, coincidence)
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December 10th, 2009 at 1:17 am
Hey, sharing something tht happened with me,driving bk frm office, my car caught fire at the choked Naraina junction, and tht point of time, it ws the common man tht came to the rescue. All i cared ws about myself, while the ppl around came, and forced open the boot to douse the fire, one man did even burn his hands in the process, and i ws standing far frm the place, afraid of burning my hands to “save my own car”. Tht ws a touching moment, coz ppl who u dont evn knw, and maybe wont ever stop if they were in a problem, help u fr nothing at all…so maybe the spirit of humanity is nt dead, and is very much alive in the common man, i think its only a smaller section of the society which doesnt conform to humanity’s basic principles of helping!!
December 10th, 2009 at 1:29 am
AD, this is sad. I remember when I was studying Mass Communication and Journalism, an incident had happened on a busy Bombay road a dead body of a woman lay for 8 hours or 11 hours (don’t remember exact number)! It was a journalist who while reporting the story informed police and hospital. No one care a woman died on road, life went on. I then wrote a piece, which I can’t find any longer.
I feel sad for that brave, human man who tried to help the couple. Thinking of his regret, and painful memory of sight does something to my innards.
A good piece, AD.
December 10th, 2009 at 4:01 am
Heart-wrenching.
December 10th, 2009 at 7:36 am
Kalpana may be a fictional character but these incidents do happen all over the world. In small cities people still care about each other and help people in need but there, the problem is that people interfere with each others life even when they are not needed. Elder generation is OK with it but the younger generation is not very happy with that kind of intrusion in their privacy. The other issue is that our law enforcement agencies are not very helpful. They should be the ones who encourage people to help the needy in these situations.
December 10th, 2009 at 8:28 am
Its a combination of apathy and the way our law enforcers treat you once you rescue someone and take them to the hospital. The harassment only starts after that. You will then regret the day you decided to help someone.
December 10th, 2009 at 9:19 am
Did you forget to mention that Kalpana was actually on her way to an unavoidable lunch meeting , which was to be addressed by the Minister at the Sheraton, in honor of the Nari Sahayata Din ? And that her place, on the dais was what actually kept her going, despite her mind agonizing over the burning car ? Sheesh. These middle class types. And their Maruti 800’s….
December 10th, 2009 at 9:37 am
Horrifying. Horrifying. sigh.
December 10th, 2009 at 9:48 am
Great post. One of the reasons I left Bombay. Such things make me very “unquiet”.
December 10th, 2009 at 11:48 am
I once saw a woman on a two wheeler, badly injured after a bad fall but luckily though there were all these auto-wallas who decided to help her…but not a single car stopped!
December 10th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Let alone Delhi waalas…
We all are part of this crime. we all are like this.
December 10th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
No tut,tut.
nxt time just help.
Whatever it takes.
December 10th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
So sad.. I am speechless.
December 10th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
The truth told in a sad and subtle way.
December 11th, 2009 at 10:22 am
I just don’t know what to say…..how can people just watch someone dying?
Quirky Indian
December 11th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
sadly this is the truth…
December 12th, 2009 at 1:27 am
You’re more likely to find a Good Samaritan in a slum-dweller or an autowallah, than among the so-called “educated” people like us.
Whereas rich, supposedly “cultured” AC car driving people refuse to transport road-accident victims because they’re worried about staining their seat covers.
December 13th, 2009 at 8:44 am
people in Delhi don’t have time to care on these matters since they are very busy. but it’s so sad that such things exist in a metropolitan city like Delhi
December 18th, 2009 at 12:31 am
what we do ,we get the same back today or tomorrow, shape may change.therefore it is unfortunate that interest of people have become so selfish. they dont realise that such event can happen with them /their near and dears. then?.who knows that was our last chance to help and get blessings of those connected with the affected directly or indirectly.people need to realize that it is blessings which shield from evil eyes …that isthe reason why people are not mentally happyand are suffering from various type of diseases thanks for eliciting response
December 22nd, 2009 at 8:15 am
Wonderful commend Dinesh, I agree with you totally. Some of the people are afraid to help them when they think about the consequences if they try to help them. Suppose if you try to help someone who met in a road accident, you need to sign in hospital before his/her treatment, police will enquire you about it and later you will be troubled by them. you may even go to court. I really feel so sad about this. What I recommend my friends to save them by taking them to hospital with the help of two three dudes around you and make false entry in hospital so that you’ll be saved from further issues. I highly recommend you not to ignore those who met accidents, you must save them. Be a lifesaver in such occasions and get natural blessings from them. Thank you !
December 22nd, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Awful to read this.
December 23rd, 2009 at 9:11 pm
I do’nt agree that police troubles but they need to be satisfied that you are not involved. once they are satisfied they are helpful.not good advice for false entry.Be bold enough and truthful.which always gives satisfaction of good work done when one recollects what good one has done in his life and ones soul feels happiness. try and, experience .I have done it, only such deeds will always keep you light in distress.I think it it is too much, nevertheless thanks for agreeing with me.
December 29th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
Heart breaking.. God help us all.. but then its the situation too especially police , I learnt the bad way that when visiting india, dont stop your car to help someone.. no no no .. Police Bad police… I am myself a police officer I was horrified at the way the police talked to me , just cause i stopped the car to help a old lady who fell while getting out of her car, and there was heavy traffice someone would have run her over.. Had to wait for the BADE SAHIB to come …
Good post though…
December 29th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
On a slightly more encouraging note, here’s something that happened in Chennai – http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Kidnapped-girl-rescued-after-chase-in-Choolaimedu/articleshow/5385637.cms – Passersby (general public) giving chase to and helping corner kidnappers. The world isn’t that bad a place after all.
December 30th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
Excellent post to draw interest .Generally people in delhi show lip sympathy and pass-by.Perhaps reason being too much busy in their schedule of work.Nevertheless,I feel one should be an helping hand to those in distress. I feel God sees all ourdeeds/misdeeds and so rewards/punishes suitably at suitable time to realise us of our acts. so we should decide what to do and how to react in situation as said in the post.
January 4th, 2010 at 2:18 am
India is so much better when it comes to this. I have seen people running from every side in case of an accident near by, I have seen people inside the Govt Bus getting down just to help the victims of an accident.
Here in Singapore, they just see it and drive away.
All this from my practical experiences.
January 5th, 2010 at 12:32 am
Thanks for the comments guys!
Sorry i was unable to reply individually, but as always your thoughts are precious and invaluable to me!