Mysuru: A street play “Idhyaava Saayo Aata?” (What kind of death game is this?), jointly organised by Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation and Resource Centre for Communication, Bengaluru, was staged in Mysuru and Chamarajanagar districts yesterday and today.

The street play was staged yesterday morning opposite Nanjangud Temple. The duration of the play was 15 minutes and there was also an interaction with audience for five to ten minutes.

The play was staged at various places in Mysuru district  including Alambur, Nagarle, Kupparavalli, Siddaramanahundi,  T. Narasipur and Talakadu. In Chamarajanagar, it was staged at Yelandur, Kollegal, Madhuvanahalli, Singanalluru, Hanuru, Saraguru and Sathyagala.

Purpose of the play

This play is based on an accident analysis report on buses operated by KSRTC. The report reveals that a majority of the victims of bus-related accidents are two-wheeler riders and pedestrians.

This report is an analysis of 728 fatalities between 2012 and 2017 out of which 267 pertained to two-wheeler riders and146 victims were pedestrians. The study was conducted by KSRTC in collaboration with World Resources Institute in five divisions.

About 42 per cent of the accidents were result of head-on collisions, 32 per cent along the same side of the buses and 25 per cent while crossing the roads. However, KSRTC Managing Director S.R. Uma Shankar says that the rate of accidents has been reducing over the years.

It will come down drastically if two-wheeler riders are more responsible on the roads and wear helmets while riding. Hence, people should be more responsible towards road safety, while crossing the roads, said the MD in a press release.

Synopsis of the play

“Idhyaava Saayo Aata?” is a serious toned satirical street performance, which conveys a strong message with a touch of comedy in it to keep it conversational. The play showcases problems happening in day-to-day life because of negligence in following traffic rules.

The play also gives apt solution in a way that connects the audience and makes them think twice before committing such faults in future. On the other hand the play makes youth as its target audience, as most incidents have been related to them.