The Worli Commuter’s Revolt, When the Common Man Refused to Accept Traffic Jams as a “Necessary Evil”
“Don’t underestimate the power of the common man.” These words were spoken by the character played by Shah Rukh Khan in the film Chennai Express. While watching the film, I wondered why the common person’s power is visible only during elections, religious functions, and marriage celebrations. Why do they not speak up on other occasions? I got my answer from a woman from Mumbai last week. Last Wednesday, the BJP was staging a public protest against the defeat of the Nari Shakti Vandan (Amendment) Bill in Parliament. The local police were informed in advance, and despite adequate police presence, the gathering caused a massive traffic jam. People who resented being stuck in traffic were pleasantly surprised by a woman who confronted Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan, who was at the protest. She lashed out at him for the inconvenience caused to ordinary citizens. She became known as the “Shouting Woman” or the “Worli Commuter.” Many have lent their support to her. A prominent industrialist and chairman of RPG Group, Harsh Goenka, wrote: “This woman said what millions of us feel. Stop obstructing the roads for political agendas.” Her protest was not against the BJP or its ideology; it was against the assumption that political protests—and the traffic jams they cause—are a “necessary evil” that citizens must silently endure. Her courage has triggered an important public debate about the rights of citizens, the etiquette of public protests, and the limits of political entitlement.
The Incident: One Woman vs. A Minister’s Motorcade
Last Wednesday, the BJP’s protest in Mumbai against the defeat of the Women’s Reservation Amendment Bill in Parliament had been duly authorised. The local police were informed. Adequate police presence was deployed. But none of that prevented the gathering from spilling onto the roads and causing a monumental traffic jam. Commuters were stuck for hours. Tempers flared. And then, one woman decided she had had enough.
She confronted Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan, who was present at the protest. She did not shout slogans or wave placards. She simply expressed her anger—directly, personally, and publicly—at the inconvenience caused to thousands of ordinary citizens. Her language, as the minister later described it, was “intemperate.” But her message was crystal clear: your political protest is not more important than my right to reach home, to pick up my child from school, to get to the hospital.
The Maharashtra government was restrained in its initial reaction. The minister sympathised with the woman’s anger but added that her language was “intemperate.” The police registered a case against the organisers for obstructing the road and breaching the stipulations of organising a march. But the matter did not end there. By Friday, Mumbai police registered a case against the woman herself under different sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) following a complaint by another woman. The “Shouting Woman” now faces legal action.
Yet, the incident has already served its purpose. It has raised important questions that citizens have long suppressed: Why must we accept traffic jams as a “necessary evil”? Why do political rallies, religious processions, and VIP movements take precedence over our right to move freely? What happened to the Prime Minister’s own directions against “VIP culture”? And what can be done to bridge the gap between policy and practice?
The Hidden Costs: Health, Fuel, Emissions, and Man-Hours
Our cities regularly witness jams due to political rallies, public meetings, religious processions, celebrations, and VIP movement. People have accepted this as a necessary evil. But these disruptions take a serious toll on the common person’s health, work, and environment.
Health: Traffic issues cause both stress and fatigue. In the last five years, incidents of road rage and reckless driving have doubled. The usual fisticuffs aren’t reported. We don’t have exact data, but research suggests that there’s been a 50 per cent increase in such cases in the past two years. The stress of being stuck in traffic is not minor; it raises blood pressure, increases cortisol levels, and contributes to cardiovascular disease. The frustration of helplessness—of being unable to move, to reach your destination, to control your own time—is a form of violence against the citizen.
Fuel and Emissions: In cities such as Delhi, jams caused by VIP movement or other such actions result in an average waste of 46,000 litres of fuel. Vehicles in “idling mode” caught in a jam keep their engines running, emitting 107 metric tonnes of hazardous gases into the atmosphere. These gases—carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter—are not abstract pollutants. They cause asthma, lung cancer, and premature death. The poor, who live closer to roads and cannot afford air purifiers, are disproportionately affected. The political class that orders these roadblocks is literally poisoning the citizens it claims to serve.
Man-Hours: A half-hour jam in Delhi can lead to a phenomenal waste of a hundred thousand man-hours of work. This is not just an economic loss; it is a theft of time. Time that could have been spent with family, on leisure, on self-improvement, on productive work. The right to move freely is not just a constitutional guarantee under Article 19(1)(d); it is a precondition for the pursuit of happiness.
Ambulances and the “Golden Hour”: Many times, ambulances are stuck in traffic with disastrous consequences for the patient inside. For the critically ill or injured, the first hour is the “golden hour” for treatment. During this window, many patients can be saved if adequate medical assistance is provided. A political rally that blocks an ambulance for 30 minutes is not an inconvenience; it is a death sentence.
The Gap Between Policy and Practice: Modi’s “VIP Culture” Directive
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke against “VIP culture” after he assumed office. The home ministry gave directions for traffic control. According to these directions, traffic would be stopped only for the President, Vice President, Prime Minister, and special foreign dignitaries. The intention was clear: no more roadblocks for lesser VIPs—ministers, MPs, MLAs, party leaders.
But are these directions being followed in practice? Read the comments from the nation’s apex court; you will get your answer. The Supreme Court has repeatedly chided authorities for blocking roads for non-essential VIP movement. It has asked for a clear policy and its strict implementation. Yet, every day, in every city, ordinary citizens are stopped for ministers, for processions, for rallies.
The PM adheres to it. Many times, you may have witnessed his motorcade giving way to an ambulance. But the time has come for a clear-cut policy and rules of engagement that apply to all, not just the PM. A minister is not more important than a dying patient. A political rally is not more important than a child’s exam. A religious procession is not more important than a worker’s livelihood.
The Deeper Problem: Rising Vehicle Numbers and Inadequate Public Transport
The government’s challenges won’t stop at policing political protests. Infrastructure is developing at a rapid pace, but most roads, flyovers, or overpasses become a traffic nightmare the moment they are inaugurated. The reason is compounding vehicle numbers. Data shows during FY25, 2.5 crore new vehicles were added to the streets. They include both two- and four-wheelers. A total of 45.5 lakh cars were registered in 2025—6 per cent more than in 2024. These are not just numbers; they are additional vehicles on already congested roads.
One way to curb this menace is to improve public transport. Efforts are on—new metro lines, bus rapid transit corridors, suburban rail expansion—but it will take time to create a new paradigm. In the meantime, we cannot simply wait. We need immediate measures to reduce congestion, and one of the most effective measures is to stop adding to it unnecessarily through avoidable political and religious processions.
The Way Forward: Designated Spaces, Changed Attitudes, and Citizen Enforcement
What can we do in the meantime? We can find ways to stop jams caused due to rallies, religious and marriage processions, and other avoidable gatherings.
Designated spaces: We should designate spaces where facilities for large gatherings are present and hold them away from the city’s crowded places. A political rally does not need to be held on a main arterial road. It can be held in a ground, a stadium, or a designated protest zone. If the purpose is to gather people and send a message, that can be done anywhere. If the purpose is to disrupt traffic, then it is not a protest; it is a hostage-taking.
Strict enforcement of permits: Permits for processions and rallies should include strict conditions about routes, timing, and crowd management. Violations should be met with heavy fines, and organisers should be personally liable, not just the party or the organisation.
Changed attitude and behaviour: Politicians and “VIPs” should change their attitude and behaviour. They must recognise that they are public servants, not public nuisances. Their right to protest does not trump the citizen’s right to life, liberty, and free movement. The “Shouting Woman” from Mumbai was not disrespectful; she was exercising her right to free speech. She was saying what millions feel: enough is enough.
Citizen enforcement: The most powerful change, however, will come from citizens themselves. The “Worli Commuter” has shown that one person, speaking up at the right moment, can trigger a national debate. We need more such citizens. We need citizens who are willing to confront ministers, to file complaints, to go to court. The right to free movement is guaranteed by the Constitution. It is time to enforce it.
Conclusion: The Power of the Common Man
The woman from Mumbai is not a politician. She is not an activist. She is not a celebrity. She is an ordinary citizen who got stuck in a traffic jam caused by a political protest and decided that she had had enough. Her courage has triggered an important public debate. It has forced the Maharashtra government to be restrained in its reaction. It has drawn support from industrialists, from social media, from ordinary citizens across the country.
The police have registered a case against her. That is unfortunate but not surprising. The establishment does not like being challenged. But the genie is out of the bottle. The question has been asked: Why must we accept traffic jams as a necessary evil? The answer is: we must not.
“Don’t underestimate the power of the common man.” The common person’s power is not visible only during elections, religious functions, and marriage celebrations. It is visible whenever a citizen decides that enough is enough. The woman from Mumbai has shown the way. Now it is up to the rest of us to follow.
Q&A: Public Protests, Traffic Disruptions, and Citizens’ Rights
Q1: What incident triggered the public debate about public protests and traffic jams in Mumbai?
A1: Last Wednesday, the BJP was staging a public protest in Mumbai against the defeat of the Nari Shakti Vandan (Amendment) Bill in Parliament. Despite adequate police presence, the gathering caused a massive traffic jam. A woman commuter confronted Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan, who was at the protest, lashing out at him for the inconvenience caused to ordinary citizens. She became known as the “Shouting Woman” or “Worli Commuter.” The incident triggered a national debate because she said what millions feel: political protests should not obstruct roads and hold ordinary citizens hostage. Prominent industrialist Harsh Goenka tweeted: “This woman said what millions of us feel. Stop obstructing the roads for political agendas.” The police registered a case against the organisers, and later also registered a case against the woman following a complaint.
Q2: What are the hidden costs of traffic jams caused by political rallies, religious processions, and VIP movement?
A2: The article identifies four categories of hidden costs:
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Health: Traffic stress raises blood pressure, increases cortisol, and contributes to cardiovascular disease. Road rage and reckless driving have doubled in five years, with a 50 per cent increase in the past two years.
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Fuel and emissions: In Delhi alone, jams cause an average waste of 46,000 litres of fuel, emitting 107 metric tonnes of hazardous gases (carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter) that cause asthma, lung cancer, and premature death.
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Man-hours: A half-hour jam in Delhi wastes a hundred thousand man-hours of work—time stolen from families, leisure, and productive work. The right to free movement under Article 19(1)(d) is a precondition for the pursuit of happiness.
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Ambulances and the “golden hour”: For critically ill or injured patients, the first hour is the “golden hour” for treatment. A political rally that blocks an ambulance for 30 minutes can be a death sentence.
Q3: What did Prime Minister Modi say about “VIP culture,” and what gap exists between policy and practice?
A3: Prime Minister Modi spoke against “VIP culture” after assuming office. The home ministry issued directions that traffic would be stopped only for the President, Vice President, Prime Minister, and special foreign dignitaries—not for other VIPs like ministers, MPs, or party leaders. The article notes that the PM adheres to this (his motorcade has given way to ambulances). However, the gap between policy and practice remains wide. The Supreme Court has repeatedly chided authorities for blocking roads for non-essential VIP movement, but violations continue daily. The article argues that a “clear-cut policy and rules of engagement” are needed that apply to all, not just the PM: “A minister is not more important than a dying patient. A political rally is not more important than a child’s exam. A religious procession is not more important than a worker’s livelihood.”
Q4: What are the underlying infrastructure and vehicle growth challenges that compound traffic problems?
A4: Even if political processions are controlled, traffic problems will persist due to:
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Rapid vehicle growth: During FY25, 2.5 crore new vehicles were added to Indian streets (both two- and four-wheelers). A total of 45.5 lakh cars were registered in 2025—6 per cent more than in 2024.
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Inadequate public transport: Infrastructure is developing (new metro lines, bus rapid transit, suburban rail), but it will take time to create a new paradigm. Most roads become congested the moment they are inaugurated due to compounding vehicle numbers. While public transport expansion continues, the article argues that immediate measures are needed to reduce congestion, starting with avoidable political and religious processions.
Q5: What solutions does the article propose to reduce traffic disruptions from rallies and processions?
A5: The article proposes three sets of solutions:
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Designated spaces: Hold large gatherings in grounds, stadiums, or designated protest zones away from crowded city areas, not on main arterial roads. If the purpose is to gather people and send a message, that can be done anywhere; if the purpose is to disrupt traffic, it is “hostage-taking.”
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Strict enforcement of permits: Permits should include strict conditions on routes, timing, and crowd management. Violations should attract heavy fines, with organisers personally liable (not just the party).
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Changed attitude and behaviour: Politicians and VIPs must recognise they are “public servants, not public nuisances.” Their right to protest does not trump the citizen’s right to life, liberty, and free movement.
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Citizen enforcement: The “Worli Commuter” showed that one person speaking up can trigger a national debate. More citizens need to confront ministers, file complaints, and go to court to enforce their constitutional right to free movement under Article 19(1)(d).
The article concludes that the police case against the woman is “unfortunate but not surprising,” but “the genie is out of the bottle.” The question has been asked: “Why must we accept traffic jams as a necessary evil?” The answer: we must not. The common person’s power is visible whenever a citizen decides that “enough is enough.” The woman from Mumbai has shown the way; now it is up to the rest of us to follow.
