On the occasion of ‘UN World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims’, on Sunday evening, Jaipur city’s ‘Muskaan Foundation for Road Safety’ paid tribute to those who lost their lives in road accidents by remembering them at the Jawahar Kala Kendra (JKK). Commissioner of Police, IPS, Mr Biju George Joseph was present as the Chief Guest on the occasion. He said that by following basic traffic rules, we can prevent big accidents. For this, public awareness is crucial. Civil Lines MLA, Mr Gopal Sharma said that the general public should strictly follow traffic rules like wearing helmets, following traffic lights and not overloading the vehicles. This will reduce the number of road accidents occurring every day. Also present on the occasion were the Chairman of Jaipur Citizen Forum, Mr Rajiv Arora; Former DGP and Chairman of Muskaan Foundation, Mr Manoj Bhatt and renowned neurosurgeon, Mr VD Sinha.
The trustee of the Muskaan Foundation for Road Safety, Dr Mridul Bhasin welcomed the guests. The programme featured children from various schools across the city delivering powerful messages about road safety and the importance of following traffic rules. Through captivating cultural performances, including songs, dances, and dramatic skits, the students creatively engaged the audience, particularly the youth, to emphasise the need for caution and responsibility on the roads. These presentations served as an impactful way to raise awareness and inspire change.
Over 600 children from more than 40 city schools participated enthusiastically in the programme. The program began with a band march by school children. Later, the children paid tribute to those who lost their lives in road accidents by remembering them through a special presentation. At the same time, through the play ‘Helmet’ directed by Raju Kumar, children emphasised the importance of wearing helmets while driving. During the programme, the winners of the reel challenge based on road safety were also felicitated. In this challenge, the students displayed their creativity and artistry by making short films on road safety. The students of Rajasthan Hip-Hop Center and Sanskar School gave a wonderful performance of group songs and rap songs. The students of Poornima College of Engineering displayed their art through a dance drama. These performances completely mesmerised the audience. This programme not only promoted awareness of road safety but also highlighted the unique talent and dedication of the children.
A special ‘Samvaad’ was also organised on this occasion. The speakers for this segment included Dr. Shubhangi Tambwekar and Sanjay Tambwekar from Arundhati Foundation; Deputy Commissioner of Police Jaipur City (East), Police Commissionerate Jaipur, Tejaswani Gautam IPS and Joint Secretary Finance (Taxation) Govt. of Rajasthan, Dr. Khushal Yadav, IAS. This dialogue was moderated by Dr. Mridul Bhasin. Various aspects of road accidents were brought to the fore through the dialogue. Later, an interactive road safety quiz for children was also organised by the Quiz Master, Narendra Gupta in the programme. School children, parents, community leaders and citizens of the city including major stakeholders of police, medical and transport departments also participated in the programme.
It is to be noted that the “United Nations World Remembrance Day” is observed every year on the third Sunday of November to learn from the memory of those injured and killed in road accidents and pay tribute to them. Muskaan Foundation is the first NGO in Jaipur to take this initiative on such a large scale, with an aim to reach out to the maximum number of people directly, ensuring a lasting impact on the community. The event focused on the need for a collective effort to prevent road accidents and promote safe driving habits.
