Vijay Phanshikar : They wear bright-coloured, sleeveless vests and stand at road intersections holding up placards with appeals to common people to follow traffic rules. They keep smiling as they approach people on their two-wheelers and four-wheelers urging them to abide by rules on the roads. Most people respect those volunteers, all right. However, there also are many who just don’t care -- and push on with their brazenness. For such haughty people, rules make no sense. So, naturally, those who urge them to follow norms also get scant respect from them. No matter this, the volunteers keep doing the work of messengers of goodness on road relentlessly. Of course, all of us know that these volunteers belong mostly to a not-for-profit social organisation named ‘Janaakrosh’ that was started by a few do-gooders of the society several years ago.

 

Now, Janaakrosh has its work spread to as many as 8 States of India -- besides Maharashtra. And in each of those States, the organisation enjoys tremendous popular goodwill. The work is far from easy. Much to the contrary, it is very difficult and full of possibilities of open insult from the members of public -- who care a damn for appeals of sanity on road.

 

On many occasions, the Janaakrosh volunteers get a solid rebuff from people -- very insulting ...! On a few occasions, the Janaakrosh volunteers are known to have been almost run over by some brazen vehicle drivers. Despite that, the Janaakrosh volunteers -- very respected men and women -- keep doing their avowed work doggedly. Hats off to all of them ! Stand at an intersection with these volunteers for about an hour on any evening, and you will realise the value of that thankless and back-breaking work. Yet, the smile on their faces never wanes. Their voices never raise beyond a sober pitch. But nobody misses the firmness in their tone, and their no-nonsense approach. It is true, the task they have undertaken is stupendous.

 

Yet, undaunted, all of them keep at it -- with a military-like doggedness though they are mostly civilians -- men and women. The loosefooter has often seen them at different intersections and has always felt a lump of emotion in his throat. He realises unmistakably that the Janaakrosh volunteers are the sentinels of public morality and public conscience. Looking at the way they continue doing their avowed task, one does realise that they are the soldiers on a different front -- fighting a truly great battle, no matter how the society responds. The overall response from the people is often decent. Those who see the Janaakrosh volunteers on the roads feel a puff of goodwill for them. That is their strength ! n