A ‘fine’ garland to state his plight
The Hindu
Lorry driver wears garland of fine receipts to highlight poor living conditions
A mini-lorry driver from Pulpatta, near Manjeri, staged a unique protest in Manjeri town on Friday evening inviting the government’s attention to the living condition of the people, particularly the drivers of vehicles carrying building materials. A large garland made of pink receipts for the fines slapped by the authorities hung from his neck as 38-year-old P.V. Mohammed Riyas criss-crossed Manjeri town. At first people took him for a crack. But the placard he held confirmed his sanity. Mr. Riyas chose to stage a loner’s protest after he was persistently harassed by the authorities while carrying laterite stones to construction sites. “We too want to live. I started transporting laterite blocks after the State government announced that pickups carrying building materials, specifically laterite blocks, should not be prevented by the police. But, I was charged by different officers, including those of the Department of Mining and Geology, while transporting laterite blocks,” he said.More Related News
The voter turnout in the first of the two-phase Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka on Friday, which sealed the fate of 247 candidates, stood at 69.23%, marginally higher than the 68.96% recorded in 2019. Continuing the trend of urban apathy, the three constituencies in the State capital — Bengaluru North, Bengaluru Central, and Bengaluru South — recorded a turnout of 54.42%, 52.81%, and 53.15%, respectively. Mandya recorded the highest turnout at 81.48%.