NfN NETWORK
Santipur, May 1: A theatre group from Nadia’s Santipur has come up to create awareness among people about road safety measures by staging street plays extending support to the police that has undertaken serious awareness campaign on the issue.
From Saturday Drohoja’s 16member team, comprising school and college students, has started performing street plays to alert people about the safety measures people needed to adopt while on the wheels.
In Nadia from January to Mid of April, 19 motorcyclists were died in different locations most of these victims were without helmet.
Early this month Drohoja members proposed the police authorities about their interest to create awareness among people through theatre.
With the approval of the police, the group started performing street plays “Jeevan Suraksha”, “Accident”. Since Saturday, the group has performed ten shows, all in the afternoon.
Mohor De Biswas, a school teacher and chief of Drohoja, said: “Theatre is a good medium of communication. We have been watching the initiative of the police to reduce the rate of accident. It is good initiative; nevertheless, the coveted success could not be achieved as people are not responding spontaneously. The law just cannot change the mindset of people. The street plays can act as a great tool here to reach the heart of the people”.
“Our objective is to reach people directly in maximum number using the street play as medium. We are trying to focus on the evils of reckless driving, riding without helmet and consuming alcohol as well as on driving while talking on cell phone”, said Mohor, who also runs a school for the poor weavers’ children in Santipur.
Officer in charge of Santipur police station Raja Sarkar said: “It is a great initiative by the theatre group. They approached us expressing their eagerness to extend support to our ongoing awareness programme. We welcomed their initiative”.
On Sunday, the Drohoja members performed ‘Jeevan Suraksha’, in Phulia Rangmanch area.
The story-lines went on as two elderly men hearing the news of accident of the Trinamul Congress MP, stops two youths riding without helmet to go back home and bring helmet. But, they ignored. The two youth later died while riding and talking over phone as one of the youth’s wife heard the crushing sound a lorry hit youths on bike.
A senior police officer said: “We welcome the initiative of the theatre group. We would like to engage the group in creating awareness on the road safety issues in other parts of the district too