express news service
KANNUR: The video was viewed by 9,17,000 people in two days and was shared by 28,000 people. The impact was so sudden that the competent authorities could not ignore it. Video of students waiting in the rain for employees of a private bus at the Thalassery bus stop, taken by local resident T Krishnakumar, 55, forced the department of motor vehicles to register a case against the owner on Thursday. The bus. It also initiated actions to cancel driver’s and driver’s licenses and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on the operator.
“I got to the bus stop around 7:50 am,” said Krishnakumar, a returnee from the Gulf who will soon launch a startup initiative. “I have been a regular passenger between Thalassery and Kannur as I have to attend a training session at the Kannur Center of Industries,” he said.
“This was not the first time I had seen the plight of the students. They are being mistreated by private bus employees. They will not be allowed on the bus until all other passengers have boarded. Even when they come in, they will not be allowed to sit even if there is a free seat,” Krishnakumar said.
“What surprises me the most is the indifferent and quite cruel attitude of the other passengers. Once they settle happily into their seats, they just watch indifferently at the rude treatment the students receive,” she said. “In a civilized society, this cannot be acceptable and should be a shame for us,” she said. “It was raining on Thursday and the driver and cleaner of the private bus, which was traveling between Kozhikode and Kannur, would not let the students in. It was sad to see the students waiting in the rain to get on the bus to get to their schools. ” he said.
“From my previous experiences, I know that I would not be entertained by bus employees or able to get any support from other passengers if I questioned it. So, I thought I’d take a video of the scene,” she said. Krishnakumar later posted the video on Facebook along with a note of outrage. The post went viral and was shared by many people immediately. The leader of the Congress, Raghunath Cheriath, filed a complaint with the Thalassery RTO which forced the authorities to act.
“What worries me the most is the lack of concern on the part of the student and youth organizations of various political parties. They have not acted against this mistreatment of students so far. Fortunately, some organizations held a protest march and held protest programs at the Thalassery bus stop. I am happy that my post has forced them to act and think seriously about the issue,” he said.