An unlikely activist

He's a UKG student, but can teach you a thing or two about road safety. Every weekend, he visits busy junctions along with his parents. VIipasha Sinha meets him at one of them.

Aakaash is a hero among his friends and plans to continue his campaign till every motorcyclist two-wheeler rider wears a helmet. Here, he is seen distributing pamphlets as part of the 28th Road Safety Week celebration, at Sholinganallur, Rajiv Gandhi Salai. Photos: M. Karunakaran

Last August , A. Aakaash, a UKG student of Padma Seshadri School, witnessed a road accident in which a motorcyclist was seriously injured. Any child his age could be expected to forget what he saw. But Aakaash surprised everyone by doing the unexpected. He decided to spread awareness about road safety.

“When Aakaash asked me about the incident, I told him that the victim was seriously injured because he wasn’t wearing a helmet. He asked me why he wasn’t wearing a helmet, for which I didn’t have an answer,” says Anandan V., Aakaash’s father and a resident of Perungudi.

Aakaash then asked his father and mother Yogalakshmi A., if he could do something about it. They suggested he take up the work of road safety awareness.

“A five-year old talking to adults about road safety is highly affective. We printed some pamphlets, promoting the benefits of wearing helmet which Aakaash distributes at busy signals,” says Anandan, who along with his friends accompanied him to ensure the safety of the child.

The family also went and met police officials to get their permission. “They were so impressed with Aakaash’s initiative and asked him to continue the good work. Once a policeman himself was not wearing a helmet and Aakaash handed him the pamphlet. The officer apologised to the kid and assured that he would wear a helmet henceforth,” says Anandan. Every weekend, Aakaash is out there, along with his parents and their friends, at busy junctions and roads, distributing pamphlets. He has covered many areas including Siruseri, Thoraipakkam, Perungudi, ECR, Adyar, Guindy and Egmore. “There have been cases of people stopping and seeing what the kid has to say. Once a gentleman in a car, on his way to the airport, saw Aakaash distributing pamphlets to bike riders. He got down and asked for one. When he saw what a good cause Aakaash was promoting, he gave him Rs. 3,000 to print more such pamphlets and reach out to more people.”

Aakaash is a hero among his friends and plans to continue his campaign till every motorcyclist wears a helmet. Says the precocious kid, “I want people to understand the value of their lives.”