The law that does not let the Good Samaritan within us act

Man was born free but he is wrapped in the web of laws and regulations and he is just living a life in accordance with the existing customs and traditions. The laws are made for the wellbeing and harmonious function of the society but what if the law does not let the Good Samaritan within us act, sending the negative ripples in the society.

To a great extent, the increasing number of road accidental death in India is because of the wrong interpretation and implementation of the law that is existing. The escalating number of accidental death can be reduced, provided the accidental victim is rushed to the hospital at the earliest but most of the cases the onlookers are not willing to help the victim to get the much needed medication. The trend is all because, at the end of the day, the man who acts as Good Samaritan and tries to save a precious life, which otherwise would have lost on the road, will be the perpetrator.

To do good to the fellow being is a basic instinct in every human being. Most of the time, the basic instinct in us is kept suppressed not because we don’t want to spread the fragrance of goodness instead being afraid of the aftermath of the health rendered and not wishing to get into the unending legal procedures that we need to undergo.  Most of us think that why we should we make our life miserable while helping others, so it is better not to help.

The law itself can’t be blamed for this deplorable condition; instead it is the ones who implement the law have to be blamed. The implementers of the law interpret and implement the law as per their convenience and comfort. When an accidental victim is taken to the hospital, while the First Investigation Report (FIR) is being prepared by the enquiry team (police) the Good Samaritan, who took the victim to the hospital, is registered as the first witness in the case and there starts his miserable life.

The legal proceeding in India is known for its never-ending nature. The Good Samaritan registered as the first witness of the case has to go to the court whenever the case is called and up on reaching the court he would learn that the case is adjourned to another date and it goes ad infinitum. Therefore, the witness has to be present in the court, sacrificing a lot of his personal life, time, money and energy.

Seeing the long legal battle and court proceedings that one has to under go helping an accidental victim, we ourselves keep the Good Samaritan within us suppressed. Though, there is a repeated assurance from legal authority to the common man that up on rushing an accidental victim to a hospital, they would not be registered as a witness of the case, still most of the enquiry team register the one who brings the victim to the hospital as the first witness.

Law of the land should help the citizens to be proactive in becoming Good Samaritan so that a precious life can be saved which otherwise would have lost on roads due to accidents.  

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