Trinamool will hold its annual mega jamboree in East Esplanade on 21 July to showcase its growing strength and popularity in West Bengal. Many are calling it their “victory rally”. Victory? Whatever for? Does the Trinamool party really believe this is a time to celebrate? When the whole nation is engulfed in a pall of gloom over the Sainthia tragedy? The railway minister, who has “hinted at foul play after Monday’s accident at Sainthia” (TOI, Calcutta 21 Jul) is apparently preparing to vanquish her critics at the mega rally. We Indians have penchant for politicizing everything- and what better opportunity to divert attention from a horrific tragedy. The honourable railway minister should hang her head in shame, and not make it an agenda to “sting opposition and critics” (TOI) in a political rally.
What is the Railways Minister Thinking?
14 train accidents in as many months since Mamata Banerjee took over reins of the Railways Ministry. It is political fodder to blame the Communist party and her rivals for every accident that has happened so far including that of the Gyansehwari Express. One wonders what stories will be floated now? Because what else can you call them but stories? Is anybody serious about finding out what happened so that we don’t keep up this uncanny record of one gruesome accident per month? Didi calls 21 July “martyr’s day” because 13 Youth Congress activists were killed in police firing in 1994. What about the lives of the 250 plus people who have lost their lives to train accidents in the last one year? Do these innocent lives not merit so much respect as to postpone the mega rally because they were not political activists?
Image of Uttar Banga Express. Courtesy: Reuters
The Blame Game Begins
Our media happy Railway Board Chairman has gone on record saying that from ‘prima facie’ evidence the driver and assistant driver may have been responsible for the tragedy. How convenient! Since both are dead and cannot come back to clear their names put the blame squarely on their shoulders! Did Vivek Sahai stop to think that he was casting aspersions on and blemishing the record of a dead man- a man who died in office- who has served the Indian Railways since 1975 and was awarded the “Best Driver of the Year” by the same organization Sahai now heads?
We Want Answers, Not Rhetoric!
It is hard to understand why the blame game has to start even before proper investigations have been completed.
So what was the Vananchal Express doing at the Sainthia station several minutes after its departure time was over? Why was the ‘isolation point’ not in place? We would like Vivek Sahai to answer some of these questions. The minimum safety standards are not maintained- railway personnel and railway police can be bribed to detain a train at a platform to unload sacks, while hundreds others perish. This should not be allowed to happen over and over and over again.
Enough is enough! If the railways minister cannot find time to attend to her duties it is time the Prime Minister thought of giving this responsibility to someone who will perhaps have the safety and protection of the passengers in mind.
Great incisive post. You're absolutely right: in the crossfire between parties, the biggest travesty - that of the hundreds of lives lost - gets completely 'sidetracked'.
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