Death after bleeding on busy road for 20 minutes; demise of M Basheer an insult to society

The first to rescue the accident victims are the locals who rush in. Police and ambulance only reach the spot later. A recent trend is that more and more passers-by are prioritizing taking pictures on their cellphones rather than trying to rescue the injured. The government has made it clear many times that there will be no case against those who bring injured people to the hospital and they will not even have to go to court as witnesses. When a human life is struggling on the road, it is mostly ordinary people who try to save that life without thinking about what will happen next. There are many humane people in society.

However, it is extremely regrettable that even though two girls were ready to save the person who had an accident in the middle of the road in Kollam yesterday, no one came forward to help them. The person, who is also a public servant, lost his life after being hit by a private bus and bleeding on the road for 20 minutes. The unfortunate incident happened to M Basheer, a 76-year-old resident of Thirumullavaram, who is a member of the Muslim League District Working Committee and an office-bearer of the Kerala Muslim Jamaath Council. Basheer, a scooter passenger, fell on the road after being hit by a private bus on Chinnakada Beach Road around 1 pm. The rear wheel of the bus went over his left leg. Those who came running just watched and did nothing. Some were filming the scene on mobile phones. Devika and Julia, who were returning from a German course at a private institution, were the first to try to lift the injured man up.

If any men had helped them, they could have taken Basheer to the district hospital within five minutes by loading him into any vehicle coming that way. However, no one was willing to help and they were just standing around. Even if the police station was informed, the place could have been reached within five minutes. The accident happened on the city's busiest road. There are many shops, hotels and businesses around. No one came to help for twenty minutes. In the meantime, Vasuji, a resident of Pallithottam, who is also a public worker, tried to get Basheer in his car with the help of the girls. Only then did those standing around gave a helping hand. He was taken to the hospital but his life could not be saved as he bled profusely on the road.

Youth organizations should find, appreciate and honour the female students who first ventured to save the victim. Those who do such humanitarian interventions are truly to be respected. It is an insult to the male society itself that the men around did not show the kindness shown by the girls. This is an incident that questions if the tenderness and mercy of human love is drying up in the society. Although the government has made many assurances and announcements, many people still have doubts if they will face any problems if they take the injured to the hospital. To remedy this, there should be clear explanations and steps taken by the ministers handling the relevant departments.