The video was viewed by 9,17,000 people within two days and was shared by 28,000 people. The impact was so sudden that the authorities concerned could not ignore it. The video of students kept waiting in the rain by the employees of a private bus at Thalassery bus stand, taken by local resident T Krishnakumar, (55), on October 6, Thursday forced the motor vehicles department to register a case against the bus owner. It has also initiated action to cancel the licences of the conductor and driver and slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 on the operator.
"I reached the bus stand around 7.50 am," said Krishnakumar, a Gulf returnee who is set to launch a start-up initiative soon. "I have been a regular passenger between Thalassery and Kannur, as I have to attend a training session at the Industries Centre, Kannur," he said.
Not the first time this is happening
"This was not the first time that I had seen the plight of students. They are being treated shabbily by private bus employees. They won't be allowed to enter the bus till all the other passengers get in. Even when they get in, they won't be allowed to sit even if there is a vacant seat," said Krishnakumar.
"What surprises me the most is the indifferent, rather cruel attitude of other passengers. Once they get happily ensconced in their seats, they just watch indifferently the rough treatment meted out to the students," he said.
"In a civilised society, this cannot be acceptable and should be a shame on us," he said. "It was raining on Thursday and the conductor and cleaner of the private bus, plying between Kozhikode and Kannur, would not let the students in. It was sad to watch the students waiting in the rain to get inside the bus to reach their schools," he said.
"From my previous experiences, I know that I would not be entertained by the bus employees nor could I get any support from other passengers if I questioned it. So, I thought about taking a video of the scene," he said.
Viral video up on Facebook
Later, Krishnakumar posted the video on Facebook with an indignant note. The post went viral and was shared by many people immediately. Congress leader Raghunath Cheriath lodged a complaint with the Thalassery RTO which forced the authorities to act.
"What worries me the most is the lack of concern on the part of the student and youth organisations of various political parties. They have not acted against this ill-treatment towards the students so far. Fortunately, some organisations have taken out a protest march and held protest programmes at the Thalassery bus stand. I'm happy that my post has forced them to act and think seriously about the issue," he said.