JK PANORAMA PRINT final

JK PANORAMA
VOL-I, ISSUE-1 DECEMBER-2015 | Budgam
MY BICYCLE
Creative Solution to Traffic Problems
My grandfather Late Ghulam Ahmad
Halwai of Rehbab-Sahib Ali Kadal
during 1946 arrived in along with a
new bicycle. It
was Hercules
made in England.
Each part of the
v e h i c l e w a s
engraved with
t h e w o r d
'Hercules made
in England'. The
b i c y c l e w a s
purchased from
the wholesale
merchant at Hari-Singh High Street, second
shop on the corner of the lane leading to
Hanuman Mandir, for rupees forty-nine and
eight annas. The saddle was attached with a tool
box, carrying a few wrenches, solution tube and
a few rubber patches. The frame of the bicycle
had arrangement to fix one small pump. The
scene was festive.. The news of the new arrival
reached neighbors, friends and relatives. The
bicycle was garlanded. The whole family
offered prayers at Hazratbal and Rohat
(Kashmiri cake)was distributed among the
relatives. It worked as an announcement of the
purchase.. The week turned out as the week of
Showkat Rashid Wani
Assistant Professor
University of Kashmir
celebration. The inmates were thrilled to
entertain the guests. The local-baker gulhalwai
was instructed to be in readiness.
Being at number three, the first day, my uncle
did not get any chance to touch the bicycle. He
had to be contented with a look from distance.
He could not resist the feel of its touch any
longer. All others, tired, went to bed. He
waited until they took to snoring. Stealthily he
availed of the chance to satiate his longing for
the touch. People around used to borrow our
bicycle. It gave us a momentary feel of being
from the privileged class. The facility could be
availed by the restricted few on holidays only.
The Bicycle was the sole property of my grandfather.
No other
family member
had any right on
it. My father
usually stealthily
used to steal an
opportunity for a
joyride when my
g r a n d f a t h e r
would go for a
nap. To carry
someone on the
carrier and to cycle after dusk without light
were legal offences. Besides, managing law
and order, the police usually used to arrest the
law offenders for carrying double seat or for
cycling without light after dusk. The accused
was charge sheeted in the court of law and fined
to the extent of rupees two to three. At times the
matter was compounded without any challan
for one or two annas that would not go to the
government treasury .A token tax of one rupee
and two annas was charged by the Municipal
authorities. At times the authorities would
come out on the road to boost the revenue
“Today we see lot of chaos and confusion on
our roads due to frequent traffic jams. We
need a creative solution for this problem.
Cycles have altogether disappeared from
scene. We purchase bikes and scotty for our
teenagers .There is a need to revive the culture
of cycling in our youth”
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