Moving beyond grief
The death of a child can leave parents with an indelible sense of loss. Especially if the death is sudden, like that of a road accident victim. But there are some parents who are moving beyond their grief and donning the role of activists. Their sense of purpose is guiding them to start organizations which spread awareness about preventing road accidents, so that other parents don't have to lose their children.
Take the example of Ashutosh Soti, who lost his only son—16 year old Shubham Soti in an accident. Shubham lost his life because he was not wearing a helmet. He was the family's pet-an ideal son, student and brother. “He would have earned a lot of fame, so to keep his name alive, I started an organization with a social purpose,” says Mr Soti. This is called the Shubham Soti Foundation, based in Lucknow. The organization works to create awareness about wearing the helmet and following traffic rules. Every year, they organise a quiz on road safety and conduct a helmet distribution drive.
Like Ashutosh Soti, the Bhasins of Jaipur, lost their 17-year-old daughter—Durva - in a road accident. The loss of their bright and talented daughter left the couple devastated until Durva's school teacher suggested they start an NGO to spread awareness about road safety. This was given the name Muskaan—because Durva was such a happy soul. The focus of the NGO is to organise age-appropriate training on how to remain safe on the roads. This would cover students from classes 1 to 12 and would be imparted in a fun and interesting manner. The NGO has conducted trainings with over 1.5 lakh students over 6 years.
"We have tried to use the kids as ambassadors to spread the message," says Pramod Bhasin. "If the traffic cop tells you to stop at the red signal, you don't, but if your child tells you, then you listen!"