Economic Warfare against Rickshaw Owners and Pullers
This article was first published in the print edition of Manushi Journal. (Issue-125, Jul-Aug 2001)
Imagine the following scenario: One fine morning, the Delhi government suddenly declares that not more than 50,000 cars and scooters will be allowed in the entire territory of our capital city, without ensuring an effective public transport system to make up for private vehicles. It also lays down that the ability to buy a car does not entitle you to own it. People have to have special government permits to own a car or scooter. Also that no family can get a license for more than one vehicle. Imagine further, that the government enacts a law stipulating that the person who is issued such a permit to own a car, a scooter, a bus or a truck has to drive that vehicle himself. If he allows someone else to drive it, the vehicle is liable to be forcibly seized by the Municipal Corporation and sold as junk, after being hammered to pulp. The corporation further legislates that in order to check the number of illegal vehicles, or those without permits on Delhi roads, the corporation employees and police have the right to carry out routine raids, stop any and every car/scooter driver and impound his vehicle, irrespective of whether he/she is able to produce his/her license or not. It then empowers itself to confiscate and destroy at random, as many cars as and when as it pleases under the pretext of facilitating smooth flow of traffic…