A child is a child

The video that’s gone viral showing an unfortunate youth being mowed down by a speeding Mercedes

in New Delhi brings into focus the mindless snuffing out of a promising life. It also brings into focus the roles demanded of adults in guiding and protecting their wards from becoming delinquents.

I recall an accident in the year 2010, when a 14 year-old boy fatally ran over an 87 year-old man, while riding his father's motorcycle without a license. The Juvenile was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board and the Police registered a case against the father under the less punitive Motor Vehicles Act for allowing the minor to ride without a license.

Incensed, the victim’s son moved the High court. The plea was that had the father had not allowed his son to ride the motorbike, the accident would not have taken place and a valuable life would not have been lost.

The plea found favour with a livid Bombay High court (Justice Ajay Khanwilkar and Justice Pramod Kode) which ordered an F.I.R to be registered against the father under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and also ordered that the probe into the accident should be conducted by an Officer not below the rank of Dy.S.P.” The order was widely reported and the message sent across was very clear- "Do not allow your children below the age of 18 to ride motor vehicles or you, the parents, and not the minor would be held responsible for the consequences. I don’t know what happened later, but the order at that time did raise questions in the minds of parents about the bounds of unconditional love for their children.

The Juvenile in the present case, it is reported, have been found driving in a rash and negligent way on quite a few occasions earlier and a ‘dangerous driving’ notice was served on his father. But to no avail. “To err is human. But to err repeatedly, in this fashion, is inhuman” thought the Police and now the father finds himself facing a charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, abetment and other serious charges.  

No matter how much you love your ‘Munna’ or ‘Munni’ or how eager you are for him or her to get ahead, it would be wise to let them take the backseat. At least he becomes eligible to possess a valid license of his own.

A child is a child. And  from whatever angle you look, a child can never be the father of the man.