So why the outcry because Alistair Pereira got 'only' six months for mercilessly mowing down seven labourers, whose tear-stained faces are daily dripping down our television screens and newspapers.
This blog is certainly not in defence of Alistair Pereira. If I had anything to do with it, he'd never see a driving license again. Here's another reason why: Just four months after he rammed his Toyota Corrolla into those migrant labourers, even as the Carter Road case was still going on, Alistair got himself involved in yet another accident in Lower Parel. This time, his friend was behind the wheel, but again, they were speeding beyond permissible limits, probably drunk, and clearly Alistair hadn't learnt from past experience enough to feel the need to ask the driver to slow down.
Yes, if you ask me, he needs to do MORE time for abject stupidity, a pathetically irresponsible attitude to driving, and core disregard for life and property. Six months in a jail cell, I think, is fair. Six more maybe wouldn't have hurt either.
But to do time for murder? That's taking things a bit too far. Why is no one asking what those labourers were doing on the road? It's quite simple really. For the bleeding hearts, let me explain. Roads are meant for cars, and pedestrians. Not for you and me to sprawl ourselves across. If we do so, it stands to reason, we will be occasionally run over by tyres of a car. This is especially why people in general don't lay down on the street to catch a few winks.. it's not wise! It's best to try only at home!
To which the Bleeding Heart says, "But these people have no home. Where will they go?" To which I say, "Anywhere, but where they will be under the wheels of a car! And really anywhere, but on what used to be a beautiful road, till they came along. "
Yes, I feel terrible that lives were lost in such a gruesome way. And yes, it is ironic these migrant labourers were killed on the very pavements they tiled only a few weeks before, after being employed by civic contractors who were given the task of getting Carter Road in ship-shape order. But what were they doing sleeping on the road long after the work was over?
I went by that road everyday, and every day, by degrees, those shanties would take on a more permanent stature, slowly and surely. This is on a stretch of road that had never seen encroachments before; a stretch that pedestrians and joggers frequent, but weren't doing so anymore.. and everyday, I would cringe at that sight. No, I agree it's not the fault of the labourers. Here, we all make do with what we have, even if it's bamboo sticks and a plastic sheet. That's the nature of this ruthless city. If anyone should be doing time, it's the contractors, who are bound by law to give migrant labourers a place to stay. But that is a whole other story.
The point here is that Alistair got his due when he was sentenced for rash and negligient driving, and causing injury. But to ask that he be charged with first-degree murder - running over people who were sleeping on a busy road - is baying for someone's blood without good enough reason. Everyone loves a good lynching frenzy, but maybe sometimes we should keep things in perspective. About the AuthorRaksha Shetty Raksha Shetty has been a journalist for 8 years, and is now Principal Correspondent in the Mumbai bureau of CNN-IBN. She joined CNN-IBN at the channel...Read Morefirst published:April 14, 2007, 06:17 ISTlast updated:April 14, 2007, 06:17 IST
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Spoilt brat. Bad boy Bandraite. Rich kid. Alistair Pereira, sentenced to six months imprisonment for rash driving in the Carter Road case, is being hung out to dry in a trial by public opinion. Never mind that the public in question probably doesn't drive in Mumbai and therefore, doesn't realise that true driving skill here lies not in driving on the road within speed limits, but in NOT driving into people, even when you are within speed limits.
So why the outcry because Alistair Pereira got 'only' six months for mercilessly mowing down seven labourers, whose tear-stained faces are daily dripping down our television screens and newspapers.
This blog is certainly not in defence of Alistair Pereira. If I had anything to do with it, he'd never see a driving license again. Here's another reason why: Just four months after he rammed his Toyota Corrolla into those migrant labourers, even as the Carter Road case was still going on, Alistair got himself involved in yet another accident in Lower Parel. This time, his friend was behind the wheel, but again, they were speeding beyond permissible limits, probably drunk, and clearly Alistair hadn't learnt from past experience enough to feel the need to ask the driver to slow down.
Yes, if you ask me, he needs to do MORE time for abject stupidity, a pathetically irresponsible attitude to driving, and core disregard for life and property. Six months in a jail cell, I think, is fair. Six more maybe wouldn't have hurt either.
But to do time for murder? That's taking things a bit too far. Why is no one asking what those labourers were doing on the road? It's quite simple really. For the bleeding hearts, let me explain. Roads are meant for cars, and pedestrians. Not for you and me to sprawl ourselves across. If we do so, it stands to reason, we will be occasionally run over by tyres of a car. This is especially why people in general don't lay down on the street to catch a few winks.. it's not wise! It's best to try only at home!
To which the Bleeding Heart says, "But these people have no home. Where will they go?" To which I say, "Anywhere, but where they will be under the wheels of a car! And really anywhere, but on what used to be a beautiful road, till they came along. "
Yes, I feel terrible that lives were lost in such a gruesome way. And yes, it is ironic these migrant labourers were killed on the very pavements they tiled only a few weeks before, after being employed by civic contractors who were given the task of getting Carter Road in ship-shape order. But what were they doing sleeping on the road long after the work was over?
I went by that road everyday, and every day, by degrees, those shanties would take on a more permanent stature, slowly and surely. This is on a stretch of road that had never seen encroachments before; a stretch that pedestrians and joggers frequent, but weren't doing so anymore.. and everyday, I would cringe at that sight. No, I agree it's not the fault of the labourers. Here, we all make do with what we have, even if it's bamboo sticks and a plastic sheet. That's the nature of this ruthless city. If anyone should be doing time, it's the contractors, who are bound by law to give migrant labourers a place to stay. But that is a whole other story.
The point here is that Alistair got his due when he was sentenced for rash and negligient driving, and causing injury. But to ask that he be charged with first-degree murder - running over people who were sleeping on a busy road - is baying for someone's blood without good enough reason. Everyone loves a good lynching frenzy, but maybe sometimes we should keep things in perspective.
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