A small lane at Chromepet in South Chennai is engulfed with anger and anguish. Strong rays of sorrow run through the faces of everyone in the crowd. Loud wails hit the air as the lifeless body of Subhasri Ravi arrive wrapped in a red cloth.
Subhasri, a 23-year old young techie who dreamed to reach Canada soon for her next phase of life, was crushed by a water tanker on Thursday as she lost balance and fell off her two-wheeler after an illegal hoarding erected by an AIADMK party man fell on her near Pallikaranai. She was on her way back home when the incident took place.
Subhasri's parents, Geetha and Ravi, are inconsolable. Their neighbours who stand shoulder to the couple are struck in complete grief. “She was like a cinema star. A young bold girl. We always admired her for all her talents. Now she is no more as someone wanted to celebrate his marriage with all the hoardings,” shouts one of the neighbours. As the relatives and neighbours turn inconsolable, the Madras High Court, in the other end of Chennai, was heard slamming the authorities and the political parties for failing in their duties. “The state government is directed to pay an interim compensation of Rs 5 lakhs to the father of the victim girl. It is open to recover the same from the concerned officials who may be found guilty of negligence, infractions and inaction of the relevant rules, laws, regulations, directions and orders. Commissioner of Police has to monitor the investigation of the two cases filed in the above regard. Pallikaranai and St Thomas Mount police stations traffic wing has to file status report as to the progress of investigation,” the court said.
Hearing the case, the High Court said it is tired of passing multiple orders against illegal flex boards. Coming down heavily on the government officials for failing to implement its earlier orders, the court observed that there is zero respect for lives in the country and it is a bureaucratic apathy. “Sorry. We have lost faith in the government,” Justice Seshasayee observed.
“How many more litres of blood do you want to paint the roads with? Is this the value of life of a citizen in this country? Why are bureaucrats so insensitive? These flex boards do not come up overnight,” Seshasayee added. Reading out all the orders passed against flex boards, Justice Sathyanarayanan said, “We have been passing orders against flex boards since December 2018. Government told us during the last hearing that the flex boards have come down by 80 percent. No political party has responded to our notices. We have not come across any party issuing a statement against flex boards. Who allowed party flags on median opposite to Madras University on the beach road? Are political parties extra constitutional authorities?” the judge asked.
Meanwhile, almost all the political parties in the state including the ruling AIADMK and the opposition DMK have asked their cadres not to erect hoardings or flex boards that disturb the public. In a joint statement issued to the AIADMK cadres, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O. Pannneerselvam said: “We are greatly distressed when we hear the news of people being affected by some actions of a few who are too eager or unaware of consequences or unaware of the rules in place. The placing of cut outs, flex boards for any reason, under any circumstances, should be altogether avoided.”
DMK leader M.K. Stalin in a statement issued to his cadres said, “While one or two banners may be kept safely for promotion during public meetings or functions with due permission, I cannot accept the placing of banners along roads and streets. I cannot accept the placing of banners in a manner that inconveniences vehicle drivers including two-wheelers and people and in a way that causes disaster to people. That needs to be stopped altogether. I wish to reiterate that banners, cut outs, flex boards should not be kept in a manner that inconveniences people. If anyone violates this advisory, strong action would be taken, if it is a programme or meeting in which I am taking part. I will not participate in it.” AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran and PMK founder leader Dr S. Ramadoss also urged their cadres not to erect banners.
It may be recalled that the banner that caused the techie's death was erected by the AIADMK to welcome Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam to the wedding of one of its former councillors, S. Jayagopal. The hoarding turned into a death trap for subasri as it fell on her as she was riding her two-wheeler on the Thoraipakkam-Pallavaram road near Pallikaranai.
Subasri is the second life lost to the banner culture in Tamil Nadu. Earlier in 2017, a young man Raghu was killed in Coimbatore. But the government and the political parties turned a blind eye to it, even as the courts ruled against the banner culture. Tamil Nadu is a state where banners, hoardings and flex boards spring up for every occasion, not just for political party meetings but even for marriage functions, ear boring ceremony and even during the death of a person.