Right of way: the right debate at the right time

I wonder why the common person’s power is visible exclusively during the elections, religious functions and marriage celebrations? Why don’t they rise in defiance?

However, I was pleasantly surprised by an unknown woman from Mumbai.

Last Wednesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was rallying against the defeat of the Nari Shakti Vandan (Amendment) Bill in Parliament.

The local police, despite adequate arrangements, couldn’t avert a traffic jam. Many were stuck. Resentful people were surprised to see a woman suddenly appearing and directly confronting Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan. She lashed out at the police officers for failing to clear the traffic.

She has been christened as ‘Shouting Woman’ or ‘Worli Commuter’. Many have lent their support to her. The chairman of RPG Group, Harsh Goenka, wrote: “This woman said what millions of us feel. Stop obstructing the roads for political agenda.”

Maharashtra government’s response was muted. Mahajan accepted the woman’s anger was justified, but said her language was ‘intemperate’. The state’s mature response emboldened the police to register a case against the organizers for obstructing the road. My happiness was shortlived because I thought the matter would end there. But by Friday, the Mumbai police had registered a case against the woman under different sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The complainant against her was also a woman.

Can we hope that the woman will not be harassed?

Usually, those who raise their voice against injustice become victims. However, this incident raises many important questions. Our cities are subjected to regular traffic jams during VIP or other movements. People have accepted it as a necessary evil, but it extracts a serious health, work and environment cost.

As traffic slows down or comes to a halt, it raises cortisol hormone levels among people. This stress hormone increases both stress and fatigue. This is one reasons for the increase in road rage and reckless driving cases in the last five years. In the last two years, there has been a 50% increase in such cases.

Meanwhile, according to data from cities such as Delhi, jams caused by VIP movement or other such actions result in an average wastage of 46,000 litres of fuel. Vehicles in ‘idling mode’ emit 107 tonnes of hazardous gases into the atmosphere. These actions adversely affect our atmosphere and environment.

Research shows that a half-hour jam in the national capital can lead to the phenomenal waste of 100,000 man-hours of work. Many a time, it has been witnessed that ambulances with critical patients battling for life are stuck in traffic. For the critically-ill or injured, the first hour is the ‘golden hour’ for help and recovery; 30% patients can be saved if they get timely help. You will be rattled if you ever listen to someone who’s caught in a jam fighting for life.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for ‘no VIP culture’ after he assumed office. The home ministry gave directions. But are they being followed in practice? Read the comments from the nation’s apex court, you will have your answer. We will have to bridge the gap between policy and practice. The Prime Minister adheres to it. Many a time, you may have witnessed his motorcade giving way to an ambulance. But the time has come for a clear-cut policy and rules of engagement.

However, challenges will remain. Infrastructure is developing at a rapid pace, but most of the roads, flyovers or overpasses become a traffic nightmare the moment they are inaugurated. The reason is compounding vehicle numbers. During the FY25, 25 million new vehicles were added to Indian streets. They include both two and four wheelers. And a total of 4.55 million cars were registered in 2025, 6% more than the previous year. Often, we say that to curb this menace, we will have to improve our public transport. But it will take time to create a new infrastructure.

What can we do in the meantime? We can find ways to stop traffic jams caused by rallies, religious and marriage processions, etc by designating spaces with facilities for large gatherings, away from the city’s crowded areas. Until we achieve that, our politicians should bring about a change in their attitude and behaviour.

I salute that unknown woman from Mumbai who triggered a very important debate throughout the country.

Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan. Views are personal.