New Delhi: In a bid to provide help to
victims of drunken driving tragedies in India, a Delhi-based
NGO has launched an all-India campaign to raise money for them
through an auction of paintings and music shows.
"Music for a cause Project" has been launched by
Community against Drunken Driving that will hold seven musical
shows and painting auctions in seven different cities in
India.
"Drinking age has gone up to 12 and 13 years nowadays.
We want to spread awareness in teenagers against underage
drinking through music. Music can act as a good therapy," says
Prince Singhal, founder of Community against Drunken Driving
(CADD).
Shows will be held in schools, colleges, pubs and bars
to attract teenagers and make them aware about the dangers of
drinking.
Jagjit Singh, Shankar Mahadevan, Shibani Kashyap,
percussionist Sivamani and rock bands Euphoria and Parikrama
are expected to perform for the cause.
"All these artists are associated with us and they are
doing their bit to address the problems of underage and
drunken driving," says Singhal.
The campaign kicks off this evening with performance
by Sarangi maestro Kamal Sabri at the Embassy of Slovak
Republic here.
"I have seen people driving after drinking. I want to
make them aware about its harmful effects. I have prepared
some special musical numbers for the occassion," says Sabri.
While singer Shibani Kashyap is composing a song on
drunken driving the band Euphoria would compose a song
especially for underage drinkers.
"The problem of underage drinking is increasing each
day. The purchasing power of people is going up and the
society is more open than before," says Singhal.
A documentary film is also being made which will be
played in Delhi pubs and bars to alert the people drinking
there, not to drive in high spirits.
"The government should come forwrd and make laws
stringent for drunk drivers. The laws here are not as
stringent as they are in foreign countries," says Singhal.
Proceeds from auction of paintings by seven different
artists will go to around 50 families who have been victims of
drunken driving tragedy in India.
"Nobody comes forward to help these people. When the
sole earner of a family dies in an accident, its tough to
survive for his family. We are doing a small gesture to help
them," says Singhal.
With over 130,000 deaths annually in road accidents,
India has one of the worst road traffic accident rate
worldwide, according to a World Health Organization report
last year. It identifies drunk driving as one of the major
causes of road accidents.
PTI
