Stop crocodile tears, clean up the mess

The tragic incident of drowning of three Civil Services aspirants in the basement of a coaching centre at Rajinder Nagar in New Delhi on 27th July - has shocked the nation and caused widespread sorrow and anguish. The heart-breaking news has left the nation aghast – yet again at tragic incidents due to negligence. As the gravity of the situation sank in, it fanned waves of anger and angst and soon people spilled onto Delhi streets, joining scores of students and jobs aspirants, to take up cudgels against the government’s apathy and the callous attitude of coaching centres towards the safety of lives. The police so far arrested eight people of the institute, including its CEO and coordinator.

At the time of the tragedy, though a call was reportedly made to 112, rescuers could not arrive in time due to traffic grid locks on streets and thoroughfares. In a time-honoured tradition, as in the aftermath of any mishap, Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi has ordered a citywide crackdown by Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on coaching centers or other establishments that are blatantly flouting building bye-laws to conductcommercial activities in basements. The issue would keep the nation’s conscience smouldering for a while and when the embers die away, life will be back to normal. Of course, any political party would milk the issue. The main opposition BJP is roasting the AAP, crying hoarse that governance has taken a severe hit in Delhi as the CM is away in jail. Its political intent is not unjustified or misplaced as it defies common sense why the AAP cannot appoint any leader to replace Kejriwal. When the CM is in jail, other leaders would lapse into inaction, and bureaucrats would take it easy and shirk responsibilities.

Thousands of aspirants from across the country descend on the national capital with big dreams to take coaching for various competitive examinations. For that matter, this is true of any big city, where particular areas turn into hubs for coaching and training. Taking advantage of the situation, unscrupulous institutions or owners of residential buildings flout norms and thrust the youth into facilities shorn of safety.

Accidents, claiming limbs or lives, are a natural corollary. If those owning or running activities in buildings that flout byelaws can be accused of criminal negligence, so should be babus and netas, too. Disregarding what is reasonable to ensure care, protection and safety of others, leading to consequential harm, incurs a criminal liability. As if to assuage feelings, the MCD terminated the services of a junior engineer, and suspended an assistant engineer responsible for maintenance in Karol Bagh zone. Then again, is it merely a case of individual or bureaucratic failure? What about the complicity of the politicos running the government? They try to wash their hands off any such episode, ordering punishments to officials concerned or even scapegoating others to save their yes men. They fail to review public safety on ground, and thus accidents, sadly, keep recurring in this country.

What makes the Delhi mishap most shocking is that the MCD failed to act despite one of the students of the coaching institute complaining about the gross violation of building regulations, pleading for action – again and again. Thus, this is an avoidable disaster. It puts in focus the glaring indifference of officialdom even to those pleas where safety of lives is involved. Crocodile tears would continue to be shed by netas. This charade is repeated ad nauseam after every havoc or mishap. The public, too, is complicit in such crimes. We let tragic memories fade away and stop questioning. As a result, netas, and in turn babus, fail in their accountability.