Recently, netizens were baffled by viral videos of school students from Ludhiana flaunting their affluence by recklessly driving luxury vehicles and hanging out of car windows and moonroofs while bursting firecrackers during what appears to be a ‘swanky car rally’ to celebrate their class 12 valediction. It did not take long for the Deputy Commissioner of Ludhiana, IAS officer Sakshi Sawhney (2014 batch), to take stock of the matter and command the police to take prompt action.
In the viral video, students from affluent families, while celebrating their class 12 valediction, were seen leaning out from their vehicles’ windows, dancing through the sunroofs, clicking selfies, blaring loud music on their car stereos, and even bursting firecrackers, endangering their own safety and that of others too.
Ms. Sawhney observed that the students who were complicit in the event had flagrantly disregarded traffic rules, and she came up with a percipient plan to instill in these recalcitrant young minds a sense of responsibility. She instructed the Commissioner of Police, Kuldeep Singh Chahal (2009 batch IPS officer), to identify the students and coerce them into taking up community service, both as punishment and rehabilitation.
The students shall get assigned with civic duties like traffic volunteers to make them better informed about traffic rules and guidelines so they do not repeat these actions again. To actuate the DC’s intention, the ACP Traffic, Chiranjiv Lamba, confirmed that five students (from the viral video) have already been identified, and notices were sent to their guardians highlighting their children’s involvement in these rogue rallies.
DC Sakshi Sawhney also wrote to the District Education Officer (DEO), requesting their identification. The DEO, in turn, issued directives to all schools in Ludhiana to discourage such incidents.
