Zebra Lines

TODAY'S PAPER » NATIONAL » KERALA
KOCHI, November 24, 2014
Documenting the travails of traffic wardens in a city
STAFF REPORTER
Traffic wardens in blue and white have become an indispensable part of life in Kochi and their presence on city roads often goes unnoticed by busy motorists. A group of young filmmakers, however, have created a documentary film taking note of their valuable service.
'Zebra Lines,' a 30-minute documentary directed by Rajesh James, brings to light the hardships that traffic wardens face in the city. "We have focused on the story of traffic warden Padmini, who was attacked by a man while she was on duty and is yet to receive justice. But through her, and the voices of other traffic wardens, we talk about the issues faced by traffic wardens as a group," says Rajesh, who is an assistant professor at Sacred Heart College, Thevara.
He says that he was inspired to pursue the subject while documenting the work on the Kochi Metro Rail. Rajesh and his crew, many of them students of the college, were filming a traffic warden on duty when they noticed that she was standing helplessly in the midst of vehicles whizzing by. "Wardens are employed by a private agency and hence, they get no respect from the public. They work for eight hours every day and are paid only Rs.300. They do not have access to toilets and work long shifts in the searing sun," he says. The group decided to shift their focus from the Metro Rail to the men and women facilitating the flow of traffic while the work went on.
Rajesh feels that despite the massive media attention on Padmini's case, many facts about the incident were not talked about enough. "There was this smear campaign against her that maligned her for what is her private life. She is yet to receive justice. We spoke to writer Meena Kandasamy and she observed that the incident was an assault on the rights of women and Dalits," he says. He notes that a majority of the traffic wardens employed in the city are Dalit women, many of whom single-handedly bear the responsibility of caring for their families.
"We hope that film will generate a discussion and bring some justice for the community of traffic wardens as a whole," says Rajesh. The film is produced by filmmaker Rupesh Kumar.
'Zebra Lines', a
30-minute documentary directed by Rajesh James, brings to light the hardships that traffic wardens face in Kochi.