Call to observe Independence Day as No Helmet Day

Hyderabad: Alleging that helmet is a sign of slavery, Telangana Two-wheeler Riders Association on Sunday appealed to two-wheeler riders in the country to observe Independence Day as "No Helmet Day" and also express their determination to fight and do away with the sign of slavery days.

In a statement here, association convener Mohd Amanullah Khan reminded that the discriminatory compulsory helmet law was originally incorporated under the erstwhile British Rule Section 85-A of the MV Act 1939 in the days of slavery and later the same was copied as Section 129 of the MV Act, 1988 without any modification and, as such, there was an urgent need to do away with the sign of slavery days.

He pointed out that the defective helmet law exempted the Sikh community people from wearing turbans. Hence, he demanded, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao should ensure a resolution in the next Assembly session permitting Sikhs and all other sections of the society to wear turbans compulsorily instead of helmet and press the Centre to bring about necessary amendment making turbans compulsory instead of helmets. Otherwise, the two-wheeler riders would launch a "do or die" agitation demanding "Helmet Hatao-Pagdi Lao".

Khan said as compared to the helmets, the age-old traditional Indian turbans are safer and comfortable. Further, the seriousness of the government to increase penalty amount for not wearing helmet from Rs 100 to Rs 1000 was discriminatory as it does not talk about safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and rickshaw pullers or other road passengers traveling in autos, cars, buses and trains. He said if the helmet was removed and turban was made compulsory, increasing number of crimes would come down since criminals were committing crimes in guise of helmets without the fear of being identified or caught.