PEDESTRIANS RIGHTS IN INDIA : WILL MODI GOVT. PROVIDE FOR FOOT PATHS IN BUDGET?

Have you ever wondered while walking on a road, some two wheeler or four wheeler fellow sounds horn from distance of 5 to 10 feet behind you expecting that you jump out of his way like an animal scared of the vehicle dashing you?

Next time when someone sounds horn from behind do not give way to him.  Because horns are not meant pedestrians they are meant for other vehicles.  In India there are no foot paths.  The pedestrians, bicyclers, twowheelers, fourwheelers travel on same road.  The foot paths are occupied by hawkers, kiosks selling all kinds of articles, fruits, vegetable etc. 

I often wonder while I hear a horn from behind when I am at a street that turns to my left.  I intend to go straight instead of turning left, some fourwheeler sounds horn from behind.  What am I to understand?!!  He wants me to turn left, right or run straight?  In such confusion that vehicular traffic creates on our roads, the pedestrians never know when a horn is sounded from behind which way to go or which way that fellow is intending me to go.

There lies the problem with our townplanning systems.  In foreign countries (advanced) there are foot paths for people to walk and there is no occasion for pedestrians being driven like cow and sheep by vehicle drivers.  But in India where our Dear Prime Minister Modiji is aspiring to create SMART CITIES, we do not have foot paths yet.  There is a riddle here for Modiji and his Cabinet Team when I ask  "Sirs, how do you build a smart city without foot paths?".  Riddle because....the hawkers and kiosks and petty traders occupying foot paths are vote banks of BJP.  Without removing them, they cannot build foot paths.  Without building foot paths you cannot create SMART CITIES. 

We are Indians, we have a right to walk on the land of our country, though we do not walk like cows and buffalows, the behavior of vehicle drivers sounding horn from behind hurrying us to move away from their path urgently gives an impression that we are being treated more as animals and less as human beings.  With these thoughts I leave it to your wisdom and the wisdom of government to mull over the pedestrian rights seriously.  The true tribute you can pay to the father of nation (Mahatma Gandhi) who remained a pedestrian and died as pedestrian is to hold your feet on to the land whenever possible.  The country must show some concern and pay respect for the people who are humble enough to keep their feet on to their ground, humbled either by circumstances or by inability to own a vehicle.  If you are a vehicle owner or driver then please do not sound horn to the pedestrians....and make them think "am I a machine to jump either way as fast as he wants me to react to his needs"?  It takes at least 3 seconds for him to understand by looking back in which direction you want him to move.  Before that your vehicle would reach him.  And you cannot expect that he will jump out of your way like a sheep or cat fearing that you would hit him.  You are sensible Indian I guess.