City Pulse

Grief typically unfolds through five stages, denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance but for Dr Shubhangi Tambwekar and Sanjay Tambwekar, there is a sixth stage; resilience. The Bangalore-based couple lost their daughter in a tragic accident on September 9, 2014. Amidst the grief and pain, the couple made a decision to try and keep the memory of their daughter alive by creating the Arundhati Foundation. The Foundation creates awareness around the importance of road safety and also aspires to influence policies that will make roads safer for every Indian.   

The Tambwekars lost their daughter, Arundhati, when the bike she was riding pillion on encountered a pothole. In spite of wearing a helmet, Arundhati fell victim to terrible roads. “She was a bright and meritorious student and was pursuing Post Graduate Diploma in Pathology in Christian Medical College, Vellore when the accident happened,” says Shubhangi. The 23- year-old’s death led to the creation of the foundation that among other things, tries to spread awareness about road safety.    

“Through this programme, Vikram, we are trying to initiate better road safety practices and influence policies that will make roads safer for all,” says this Cambridge road resident.   

The Foundation visits various schools, with age-sensitive material to instill in the young minds the importance of road safety and the repercussions of lax attitudes. “Our lectures and reading materials are age appropriate. From first to the fourth standard, our talks comprise cartoons and pictures that appeal to our younger audience. On another hand, from the fifth standard to 10th standard, we introduce statistics to the students. This helps them understand how grim the picture really is,” Shubhangi points out.   

The sessions are also held in offices and corporates. “The target audience in these sessions is usually the young professionals aged between 23 and 27. Their first vehicle, more often than not, ends up being a motorcycle, and through our sessions we encourage them to be responsible riders and to follow safety rules,” she adds.  

Shubhangi points out that more than the kids, adults need to be responsible. “I see young teenagers who have not yet reached legal age for driving any two-wheeler, riding scooters, with their parents sitting behind them. How can they even allow that? What are we teaching our kids about safety? And, then there are those who see nothing wrong in drinking and driving or doing wheelies on a busy road. This careless attitude hurts me. I do not want anyone else to go through what we are going through,” adds the 51-year-old. “I see well-educated people in cars talking on their cell phones while driving. Aren’t they aware of the dangers involved? Are we too optimistic that we think nothing will harm us, or are we simply foolish?” she asks.  

The couple also joined forces with other non-profit organisations, like Save Life Foundation. “We help them with support, getting signatures for campaigns, making suggestions to incorporate changes to traffic rules, among others. We also work with the Bangalore Traffic Police by suggesting some changes, like initiating signaling during peak hours at KR Puram, etc,” she adds.   

When not preparing for lectures or safety sessions, the couple undertakes other voluntary work that ensures that roads are safe for the residents in their neighbourhood. “We have almost adopted Cambridge Road. The road had huge potholes, and garbage was dumped on the road, leaving very little place for commuters and pedestrians to maneuver their way out. We installed  'Tere bins ' and encourage residents and shopkeepers to use the bins. We also purchased a cold mix material and used it to fill the potholes, so that mishaps can be avoided,” she says. 

“After every session, we cite the example of our tragedy. It is painful, but it gives tragedy a face and makes it more relatable for our audience. We  sincerely hope that no other parents have to undergo the pain of losing a child to a largely preventable catastrophe, like we did. And, we also hope to make a discernible difference,” adds the changemaker.  

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