Dying to Race or Racing to Die?

However twisted this headline may sound, alarm bells should be ringing loud and clear. So loud that the sounds of screaming engines and wailing parents are muted. Who and what killed Harrish at the tender age of 13? Certainly not Motorsport. No platitudes please., No ‘He died doing what he loved the most “, Save that for someone who has no value for life.

The FMSCI and more directly the officials who permitted that kid to get on the starting kid without proper attire are guilty of 2nd-degree manslaughter in my opinion. They may as well have given him a gun and cajoled him to play Russian Roulette. Visuals of the kid lying on the race track separated from his lifeline - the helmet. How on earth did that happen? Where were the checks and balances at the starting grind? Why are suggestions and rumours abound in the fraternity abound with stories that he was forced to wear a helmet that was ill-fitting but mandatory just to benefit a sponsor? Have they lost their collective minds? Senior officials at the venue supervising the event have the experience enough to know that the only life-saving device on a motorcycle is a headgear and nothing else. No roll cages and seatbelt’s to give one a fair chance to life. First, let’s apportion blame by holding an impartial enquiry from wise senior people that are NOT a part of the racing clique. This was not a racing incident per se and shouldn’t be treated as such. Negligence killed the lil boy in the dorm, an active stage of his life. Harrish was no slouch, no back marker, not a kid who wanted to ride a bike ‘fast fast' as is the want of many a lil boy whose preferred choice of toy once he exits the womb is a racing motorbike! Their eyes light up. their souls sore and the dream to become a racing champion begins. It’s their Barbie version of joy. Harrish was prolific and clearly had a good future ahead in this chapter of a sport that at no point am going to advocate NOT to participate in.  The spirit of human adventurism sours way beyond simple racing. There are many many activities that people participate in that defy all sensibilities. We however can’t deny or suppress such acts that to a ‘normal ‘ human seem idiotic or reckless. If these naysayers want to fade away in their armchairs sans excitement in their tepid lives so be it.

However, when a sport is conducted on a commercial level and money is going to be made by large corporations directly or otherwise, they have direct responsibility for the safety of drivers and riders alike. No ifs, no buts. You have skin in the game and should be held accountable unequivocally . Let there be justice for the little boy who died before he could fulfil his dream and ensure such senseless tragedies do not occur again. I hope that you are now in a safe racing space in the sky Kiddo. The racing fraternity loved you and now hopefully it will ramp up its act for future generations of daredevils such as you. Meanwhile, there has to be a punishment to fit this crime. Sweeping it under the carpet and calling it a ‘racing’ incident would be unacceptable.