The ill-fated Dussehra train tragedy is an eye-opener for all states where uncontrolled revelry happens out in the open, throwing every caution to the wind. People in the grip of festive fervour are traditionally known to go about indulging in fireworks without factoring in the risk to human lives.
It was a night of unspeakable horror at Amritsar, and Dussehra revelry soon turned into a sea of human blood as 60 were killed and several injured after two trains mowed down around 150 people who stood on the railway tracks watching the effigy of burning Ravana.
The fireworks at Dhobi Ghat ground is an annual celebration since the last 40 years and authorities failed to take note of the fact people have been watching the spectacle from the tracks every year to get a better view. If people are to be blamed for risking their lives, the authorities too need to be pulled up for turning a blind eye to the risks year after year.
Railways cannot be entirely absolved in the tragedy for the fact that no horn was sounded alerting people on the tracks, and even if there was less visibility, the drivers failed to reduce the speed of the trains giving revellers virtually no time to cross the line. There could be a possibility that the train officials lost sight of the tracks and were also involved in watching the fireworks. The Railways too need to launch an internal inquiry.
The is the second deadliest firework tragedy in recent times. On April 10, 2016 over 100 devotees died after fireworks at the annual temple festival at Paravur Puttingal Devi temple, near Kollam which led to an explosion when a storehouse of the materials caught fire. Goa felt the heat of the fire tragedy with the then Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar drawing ridicule for comparing the ban on use of fire crackers in Kollam to that of a pen. Parsekar had said that if a child uses a pen to injure the eye of a friend, then banning the pen is not a solution.
Incidentally, Goa too has been involved with firework displays marking festivals with pomp, but luckily the State hasn’t faced any tragedies. This incident, however, should be an eye-opener for Goa too. As part of religious festivals, devotees very often use public spaces, including roads and highways to burn fireworks of all assortments. Caution is thrown to the wind and the traffic is disrupted at will, sometimes putting vehicular traffic at risk. Police personnel who are occasionally deployed at specific highway points don’t want to dampen religious sentiments and remain silent spectators.
Authorities should not wait for a disaster to knock the lives out of innocent Goans and must restrain devotees from using fireworks on public roads. Religious sentiments must be respected and accordingly there should be designated spots for fireworks displays. Alternatively, roads must be cut off during such fireworks and alternate routes opened up. Goa has always learnt its lessons the hard way. Let’s not wait for tragedies to strike us like the one in Amritsar.
