From Our Correspondent
NONGPOH, Oct 17: For the first time in the Ri-Bhoi district, women members of a Village Defence Party (VDP) joined police officers in a late-night traffic checking operation along National Highway 6, setting a new precedent for community participation in law enforcement and public safety.
The special drive, conducted from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday, was organised by the Ri-Bhoi Police in collaboration with the VDP of Quinine village. The initiative, which blended enforcement with awareness and training, marks a fresh chapter in community policing in the district.
During the operation, several vehicles were fined for using unauthorised blinding LED lights, while others were caught driving under the influence of alcohol. In one instance, a night super bus driver was found intoxicated and was instructed to rest until he sobered up.
The police also detected several cases of underage and unlicensed drivers. Instead of focusing solely on punitive action, officers and VDP members used the opportunity to educate violators on the dangers of underage and unlicensed driving—turning what would normally be a routine enforcement into a live awareness exercise.
Unlike previous drives where the Deputy Commissioner himself joined the operation, this latest campaign shifted focus towards grassroots involvement, with both men and women from the local VDP participating actively. They gained first-hand experience in traffic management and public engagement, reinforcing the idea that road safety is a shared responsibility.
Women VDP leaders were also seen educating drivers and passengers about the importance of wearing seat belts. Many were found not wearing them, putting their lives and those of others at risk.
The police said fines amounting to nearly ₹5 lakh were collected from traffic violators across Ri-Bhoi during Thursday’s coordinated checking operations, reflecting the scale of enforcement and the growing public cooperation with ongoing drives.
“This is about saving lives, not harassing anyone.”
Speaking during the drive, Ri-Bhoi Superintendent of Police Vivekanand Singh Rathore said the ongoing traffic safety campaign has been carried out continuously for the past two to three weeks to reduce accidents and strengthen local vigilance.
“We want the VDPs to be part of our enforcement drives because Ri-Bhoi has about 650 to 700 villages. Each VDP has 15 to 20 members. This gives us nearly 10,000 to 12,000 eyes and ears on the ground,” he said.
Rathore explained that the initiative goes beyond traffic enforcement, aiming to create a strong mechanism for crime prevention.
“In the past, we have seen missing children, kidnappings, and even murder cases. If every village has active VDP members, they can monitor five to ten households each and alert police to any suspicious behaviour, such as stalking or harassment. This will help us improve visibility and response at the grassroots level,” he said.
Rathore acknowledged that the state government, under the leadership of the Chief Minister, Home Minister, Chief Secretary, and DGP, is considering providing equipment and a small allowance to boost the morale of the VDPs.
He revealed that data from recent drives has been encouraging. “In the last two weeks, we’ve hardly seen any major accidents—a significant improvement compared to previous months. This shows that our efforts are working. We’ll continue rotating our checking locations to maintain an element of unpredictability. Tonight, we are at Quinine, which is one of the high-risk zones along the highway,” he said.
Rathore stressed that the drive was not about harassment but about saving lives. “This is a noble cause. We’re fully energised as a team. The real heroes are our constables and head constables who stand on the road every day—from early morning till late at night—ensuring safety for everyone. They deserve equal recognition for their tireless work,” he added.
He concluded by thanking the VDP members for their five-hour participation and appealed to the public to share constructive feedback on the police’s social media platforms. “Let us collaborate and work together to make this district and our beautiful state as crime-free as possible. Our goal is for every child to go to school freely and for every citizen to travel safely without fear,” Rathore said.
VDP pledges continued support
VDP leaders from Quinine lauded the new initiative of the Ri-Bhoi Police under Rathore’s leadership. Having witnessed first-hand the extent of traffic violations, the leaders expressed optimism that continued drives of this kind would make the district’s roads safer day by day.
They pledged to continue supporting the police not only in traffic enforcement but also in preventing crimes at the village level.
The VDP leaders also urged all drivers to strictly follow traffic rules—not merely to avoid fines but to protect their own lives and those of other road users. They cited the recent fatal accident along NH-6 at Quinine, where two people lost their lives due to speeding and drunken driving by a truck driver.
“A careless decision behind the wheel can destroy multiple lives,” a VDP member remarked, calling on every driver to treat road safety as a civic duty.
