It was in July this year when the Punjab and Haryana High Court asked the UT Administration to
make the helmets mandatory for the women riding two wheelers

Himani Bahuguna
Chandigarh

The Chandigarh Administration on Monday issued notification making it optional for Sikh women to wear protective head gear while driving or riding pillion on a two wheeler on city roads. The new notification overrules the earlier one which said that wearing helmet would be compulsory for all women, regardless of their religion.  Meanwhile, commenting on the implementation of the new notification, a senior police official said that certainly the new amended notification will be putting police in dilemma as how to implement it since it would be difficult to identify who is Sikh woman or who is not. “We cannot ask any women or girl in the city to show their religious identities, so the only way we have got is to stop challaning any girl who is not wearing helmet,” he said.He further said that when Chandigarh traffic police had taken initiative asking city women to wear helmets, it had gradually became success as it was seen  after about 60 per cent of women especially teenage girls had started wearing helmets.However, after the new notification the efforts done by us will go in vain “When the law is not clear and where there are chances of contradictions then it becomes almost impossible any for any agency to work,” he said. He further said that now after this notification I am sure that no girl will wear the helmet and the saddest part is that now we will not be able to question them. They will now again risk their lives. Meanwhile, earlier, over the same issue, Akali Dal leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab Sukhbir Singh Badal had met the Home Minister to press for demand. “It’s a matter of great pride and victory for our (SAD) party by providing an exemption to Sikh women from wearing the helmet,” said SAD Chandigarh president Hardeep Singh.

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