If you use any of three major social platforms for video-sharing in India, Instagram, YouTube or X (formerly Twitter), you’ve probably scrolled upon a video of a young girl and her pillion-riding father on a scooter. The helmetless pair was filmed violating several traffic rules in Aurangabad, now Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra.
Their clip has since become the subject of a raging debate online. The sight of a uniformed schoolgirl, likely under 15 years of age, driving a silver TVS Jupiter without so much as a helmet on—or a registration plate—initially sparked outrage over child endangerment.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Insider (@aurangabadinsider)
The criticism was largely targeted at her yet-unidentified companion, who is said to have been her father, for encouraging a minor, unlicensed motorist to drive a two-wheeler through the city.
Disbelief struck many, who were “in awe” of the girl’s stable handling of the scooter. Some of these commenters failed to comprehend the road-safety alarms raised by other internet users.
“Why this much hate?? Bro she is riding far better than the other young girls,” said one.
Many argued that the father was responsible for the recklessness, a handful even calling for his arrest on charges of child endangerment, among other things.
The war of words rages on. Locals and spectators alike have pleaded to the online folk to imagine themselves at the receiving end of such a situation.
“It’s irresponsible parenting. Should this cause an accident, would the so-called ‘support system’ of a father bring a lost life back? Parents should be legally penalised for allowing a minor to drive a vehicle,” Rama Seetharaman, a Supreme Court Advocate, said.
“Wait, someone will make a reel someday saying 'India is not for beginners’,” one predicted.
Driving without a valid licence, especially by a minor, is a serious offence under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, The owner of the vehicle, in this case the girl's father, is looking at severe penalties, including fines and potential imprisonment.