Many might have a negative view towards the police; Hari Ram says it is now part and parcel of his job to receive brickbats. He rarely gets a holiday from work and does not remember the last time he celebrated his birthday. Yet, he is threatened and abused every other day, while on his job.
“I do meet a few people though, who come and say thank you. It feels good,” said the 48-year-old.
ASI, Delhi Traffic Police, Hari Ram (Image: Newsd)
Although he manned the busy junction in south Delhi with a poker face, there was always a smile while answering the questions. Sheepish? Or is that a sneak peak into the father of two? Who’s to say?
With a population of over 1.7 crore, the 1483 sq. km city of Delhi has 96 lakh vehicles and 864 intersections. Incredibly though, the number of accidents on Delhi roads has steadily gone down since 2008. Anyone who has driven around Delhi can attest to the fact that it definitely isn’t because the citizens of the national capital are increasingly becoming better rule-followers.
“I have to be hawk-eyed while doing my job. If they don’t see me here, people feel absolutely no obligation towards following the rules. We have to keep functioning so that all of this keeps running smoothly,” said Hari Ram, waving the traffic on from one side of the road.
Think you are stuck in a thankless job? Try standing on the road regardless of the weather, in the middle of the traffic dealing with an unruly crowd on Diwali.
“We get threatened, we are abused. Even if you don’t respect us, respect the rules. No need to thank us, it’s our job. When people respect the rules, it feels as if they are respecting us. That is gratitude enough for us.”
