Mumbai: What is Wrong with You !!!
Last week 40 year old Laxmi Iyer left home to get to work. Like millions of Bombayites, she took the local train to work. However she never reached work, because she fell off the train and died. And this hardly made any news.
However tragic it may be, this is an everyday occurance in Bombay. About 3500 people die in railway accidents in Bombay alone. However what makes this event even more tragic is that she died because of something that one would expect in any other place but Bombay.
She fell off and died because she was pushed off a crowded train. She was not allowed to enter.
GRP sources said there were gangs, in both the women’s and the general compartment who do not allow people other than known faces, to board the train, by physically blocking the doors. [ llink ]
As the article reports,
Parmila Vakharia (50), from Nallasopara, was arrested by the GRP and booked under section 304 (ii) — culpable homicide.
What really shocks me is how heartless we Bombay citizens are becoming.
Bombay folks unlike New Yorkers, are known for making space for every single person in a train bogie, no matter how crowded the train might be.
They are also known to grab every person running to catch a speeding train and grabbing him/her in and then admonishing him/her for doing something as stupid and dangerous as getting on a moving train.
But we have always been known to help. To keep everyone of us amongst us. To keep them safe.
Do you think I am over reacting or do u think that this is an indication of how we as a citizenry are getting to cold hearted that we care a damn for our fellow city dwellers ?
Come on Bombay, that’s not you.
(image copyrights Mid-Day)
This is the first article blogged on MB Mumbai after a tip off by a reader. Thanks Sandeepfor bringing this to our attention.
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over 2000 die each year on WR and CR each year. even MIDDAY keeps count religiously. Dadar station has a swank new mortuary too. And you are not allowed to sue Indian Railways.
Are you serious ?? That would be horrible. How come this does not come up as an issue to be taken up by civil liberties lawyers.
Why should you be able to sue the Indian Railways if it is quite clear that tresspassing on the railway lines is both a punishable offence and dangerous. And while being pushed off trains is a deplorable indictment of the callousness and de-sensitisation of living in metros, once again, in what way are the Indian railways culpable?
What the Indian railways ARE accountable for are the worsening infrastructure and pace of renewal of rolling stock, signalling and safety. Citizens do have an opportunity to voce their opinions at various forums presided over by the General manager of the regions but, except for a few familiar faces, no one turns up to provide suggestions and register complaints.
I have always felt the average Mumbaikar gets the service he ultimately deserves. We have to use the various channels we have to effectively represent the views of the 4 million people who ride the rails on the Mumbai Suburban network every day.