Karnataka - Mysore   

Opposition growing to helmet rule

Staff Correspondent

Vatal Nagaraj burns helmet to protest against proposed law

MYSORE: The State Government's proposal to make helmets compulsory for two-wheeler riders appears to be eliciting more brickbats than bouquets in Mysore.

A day after participants came out overwhelmingly against making helmets mandatory for two-wheeler riders at a public debate organised by the Mysore Grahakara Parishat here on Saturday, the Chamarajanagar MLA, Vatal Nagaraj, led a protest demonstration against the Government on the issue at K.R. Circle on Sunday.

Amidst shouting of slogans by his supporters, Mr. Vatal Nagaraj set fire to a helmet to register his protest against making helmets mandatory for two-wheeler riders.

Instead, the protesters urged the Government to introduce laws against consumption of liquor and cigarettes.

The public debate on the issue organised by the parishat at the Institution of Engineers on Saturday also saw a large number of people opposing the law making helmets mandatory for two-wheeler riders. The voices of a few people, who favoured the rule, were drowned in the din kicked up by participants opposing the rule.

H.A.B. Parpia, a member of the Mysore Agenda Task Force, who presided over the debate, was among the few favouring the rule. "If wearing helmets is made optional, it amounts to giving two-wheeler riders the license to commit suicide," Dr. Parpia, who is also a retired Director of Central Food Technological Research Institute, said.

But a majority of the participants favoured the continuation of the existing law under which wearing helmets is left to the riders' discretion. S.G. Vombatkere, president of the parishat, also felt that the authorities should allow individuals to make their choice on wearing helmets.

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