Use a motor vehicle rule for messaging

No one can accuse Uttar Pradesh chief minister Adityanath of being shy of wearing his identity on his sleeve. But kudos to the yogi for telling it as it is – there’s a time and place to flaunt your ‘identity pride‘, and car bumpers are certainly not the place. Sure, it’s a roundabout way of telling off folks that proclaiming your religious or caste ID on cars is bad show and in poor taste. Cases are being made using Section 179(1) of the Motor Vehicles (MV) Act 1988 – dealing with ‘disobedience of any direction lawfully given by any person or authority empowered under the Act’. Part of a special 10-day campaign, the CM directed officials to stop the fad of car-owners displaying their caste and creed on their vehicles in an overt display. A total of 1,542 challans were doled out in the 10 days, with Noida alone contributing 750. It’s good news that this ‘drive’ will now continue, with vehicles to be seized for repeat violation.

Going to town with one’s identity – whether religious, caste, gender or sexual – isn’t an offence per se. Insulting the identity of others is. But, in UP, bad taste is being given the smart shove in the form of motor vehicle norms violation. Why can’t more people in change-making positions think of practical and effective roundabouts like this one? And ‘Proud to be driving’ should be the only bumper sticker in town.