Explained: How changes in hit-and-run law fueled mass protests in India
Initiating a three-day protest on Monday, drivers strategically blockaded highways and key roads across the country, exacerbating traffic congestion and raising concerns of an impending fuel shortage, prompting citizens to rush to petrol pumps.
FollowBeginning the New Year, India was marred by extensive traffic snarls and lengthy queues at fuel stations, triggering a surge of images and videos across social media. Ambulances languished for hours in traffic gridlocks in various cities, all due to a nationwide protest led by truck drivers against the newly enacted hit-and-run law.
Initiating a three-day protest on Monday, drivers strategically blockaded highways and key roads across the country, exacerbating traffic congestion and raising concerns of an impending fuel shortage, prompting citizens to rush to petrol pumps.
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The crux of the truck drivers' dissent lies in the revised Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, a new criminal code replacing the Indian Penal Code (IPC), specifically the stringent penalties introduced for road accident cases. Under this law, penalties for accidental deaths in road mishaps can extend to a maximum of 10 years, a significant increase from the previous 2-year maximum under the Indian Penal Code.
The law states, "Whoever causes the death of any person by doing any rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine."
Protesters argue that the law unfairly targets larger vehicles and deem it draconian, questioning their ability as drivers to pay hefty fines. Syed Wajed, a protesting tanker driver in Maharashtra, expressed their predicament, questioning how drivers could manage such substantial fines.
Additionally, there are concerns among protesters about potential mob violence against drivers aiding the injured by transporting them to hospitals.
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The protest, inclusive of truckers, private bus drivers, and in some instances, government bus drivers, has seen support across social media, with claims of cab drivers joining the demonstrations in various states.
