Is life worth five lakhs only? The Malwan train tragedy

Train accidents and loss of life has become a way of Indian life. The giant public sector industry has in the past 64 years failed utterly to ensure minimum life security to its passengers which should have been the primary duty of the Railway Ministry. The recent Kalka Mail’s Malwan  train tragedy is case in point in which on  July 11, 2011 thirty five passengers lost  their precious life the number of which may increase with the passage of time. Like  every train mishap the central government came with a dole of five lakhs for the kith and kin of the deceased. Alongwith it has also sanctioned various amounts for the injured. Now, the point which every sensible citizen of our country is asking at the moment that is a life lost worth merely five lakhs? I think and  perhaps  most of the citizens think that paying compensation is not at all remedy to the ill managed Railway ministry which has failed to deliver goods irrespective of the various Union  Ministers. The loss of the families cannot be measured in terms of money. The emotional loss is unrepairable irrespective of the quantum of money. The main question is to look into the permanent solution of the safety and security of the passengers which see the Railways as the easiest and reasonable medium of transport. Apart from train tragedies and mishaps dacoities and molestations are a common  occurance in the Railways  which needed to be addressed seriously. For this proper accountability should be fixed for this kind of mishaps and due punishment be given which can act as  a suitable deterrent. It is unfortunate that Mamta Bannerjee the Chief Minister of Bengal could not give due stress on this aspect due to her political compulsions. Had it been otherwise then the situation would have been much better. So now the onus lies on the new Railway Minister who should try to find out permanent solution to this chronic problem. The citizens of this country then only can be satisfied and be proud to be Indians. I sincerely doubt that with this kind of mess in our country we are not going to be considered to be in the circle of the developed nations which is the thrust of the present government at the center.