All the Indian news channels are spending all their time on the unfortunate tragedy at the Elphinstone Railway station in Mumbai yesterday; highlighting repeatedly the failure of various agencies in acting upon several complaints about the narrowness of the foot over-bridge on which the stampede occurred and in accepting responsibility for the incident, some even demanding the resignation of the just appointed Railway Minister! Why do we always go for the jugular of the top man? What is the huge army of engineers and experts doing? Certainly there is a lot our Netas and Bureaucrats are answerable for but aren't the rest delegated with duties?
From what one hears from the media, it seems that two locals arrived at the station simultaneously and discharged their huge burden at about 1030 hours in the morning, and it began to rain! Worried that the rain would dissolve them in no time, the commuters were so anxious to save themselves from getting wet that they rushed onto the covered foot over-bridge and on hearing a rumour of a short circuit, rushed all over the bridge trampling the weak and fragile, some even hanging out of it and jumping onto the tracks below! First of all why are we so prone to rumour mongering and then believing in whatever is said?
In my view, the width of the bridge has nothing to do with the tragic outcome. I for one would have avoided rushing into a crowded area, even if it meant getting myself soaking wet, at least I would not be trampled over and lose my life! I feel that even a 100 foot wide bridge would have soon been crowded up and a similar event would have occurred with people not caring about who they stepped on as long as they themselves remained safe! Don't we see the same phenomena repeated on our roads and at temples and melas? Wide roads are built but soon they are not wide enough, more and more vehicles are being added to the roads everyday in the name of growth! Thousands pour into our cities from the rural areas, choking every little resource to death! Everyone is in a rush and the tragedy is no one ever gets anywhere in time!
We need to wake up and mend our ways! Someone mentioned that similar crowds in places in Japan and Hong Kong are managed so well. Really? Don't the well disciplined people in these countries handle themselves well? Not waiting for the proverbial 'danda' before they drive up the wrong way on a one way road?
From what one hears from the media, it seems that two locals arrived at the station simultaneously and discharged their huge burden at about 1030 hours in the morning, and it began to rain! Worried that the rain would dissolve them in no time, the commuters were so anxious to save themselves from getting wet that they rushed onto the covered foot over-bridge and on hearing a rumour of a short circuit, rushed all over the bridge trampling the weak and fragile, some even hanging out of it and jumping onto the tracks below! First of all why are we so prone to rumour mongering and then believing in whatever is said?
In my view, the width of the bridge has nothing to do with the tragic outcome. I for one would have avoided rushing into a crowded area, even if it meant getting myself soaking wet, at least I would not be trampled over and lose my life! I feel that even a 100 foot wide bridge would have soon been crowded up and a similar event would have occurred with people not caring about who they stepped on as long as they themselves remained safe! Don't we see the same phenomena repeated on our roads and at temples and melas? Wide roads are built but soon they are not wide enough, more and more vehicles are being added to the roads everyday in the name of growth! Thousands pour into our cities from the rural areas, choking every little resource to death! Everyone is in a rush and the tragedy is no one ever gets anywhere in time!
We need to wake up and mend our ways! Someone mentioned that similar crowds in places in Japan and Hong Kong are managed so well. Really? Don't the well disciplined people in these countries handle themselves well? Not waiting for the proverbial 'danda' before they drive up the wrong way on a one way road?
