If there is one successful social media experiment from the Indian government, it is the Delhi Traffic Police's Facebook page.
It is the closest police and public come to working together. The Delhi Traffic Police provides regular updates and warns motorists of traffic jams. In turn, the motorists report broken traffic signals or traffic jams they spot along their journey.
No wonder, it is quite popular. At last count, 27,729 people liked Delhi Traffic Police's Facebook page - five of them my real friends (Yes, I am still uneasy about virtual friends).
The community is rather active in establishing the rule of law, having posted some 7,075 photos so far. From illegal parking to fancy number plates to driving on the wrong side to driving a two-wheeler without helmet to driving a car with tinted windows, they provide documentary evidence of all kinds of breaches.
Every now and then, there are photos of men in uniform committing the same offences. Mostly, it is driving a two-wheeler without helmet and/or talking on a mobile phone while driving.
I guess this is what Western politicians mean when they talk about "participative democracy". And in a city with virtually no respect for traffic laws, a definite force for good - citizens working together to bring about better civic sense and respect for traffic laws among fellow-citizens.
The only problem is that even in the virtual world, Delhi Traffic Police seems unable to shed its real-life double standards.
Like on the streets, it is quick to send out penalty notices to motorists reported on Facebook. "Kind Attention ! The following vehicles/owners have been prosecuted by issuing notice on the basis of the photographs upload on Facebook DLXXXXXXXXXXXXX".
However, there is a deafening silence when it comes to prosecuting men in uniform or lawmakers.
Last week, I uploaded two photos of law-makers breaking law. The first was a Government of India car occupying a pedestrian pavement bang under a No Parking/No Stopping sign. The second was of the car of a Member of Parliament driving in the wrong lane, taken some months ago.
As expected, the photos were followed by messages of encouragement from some of Delhi Traffic Police's Facebook fans. "DTP will not take any action.....because its politician car not of a common man," said one. "Dear DTP..i understand ur incompetency in this case...but plz u can even tell this gentleman ploitician about this incident....and facebook too..and let him think......a bad message is going to public," said another.
The Delhi Traffic Police, however, kept a studied silence. Not even an acknowledgement. Maybe it was my phone, but for a brief while it was difficult to located the pages I uploaded.
It made me wonder if those issued penalty notices could challenge these on the grounds that the use of Facebook evidence was discriminatory. After all, all citizens are equal before law. And if one can be prosecuted based on evidence provided my a member of public, the other should be too.
If my journalist friends weren't too busy spreading flood panic among unsuspecting public, I would have sought their help. Or maybe requested them to put in a Right to Information request - to get a sense of how many lawmakers have been punished for their transgressions.
Or maybe this message missed out a key word - "Managing traffic in Delhi during the Commonwealth Games will be a big challange* as well as a great opportunity. Delhi Traffic Police cannot possibly succeed without the active cooperation, participation and support ofall* ordinary citizens".
AN UPDATE : The Government of India vehicle has now been issued a penalty notice. I stand corrected.
* The spellings are Delhi Traffic Police's, not mine
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