Recently, several bomb explosions rocked the cities of Bangalore and Ahmadabad, while many others were prevented in the city of Surat, thanks to faulty circuit design and vigilant public. While casualties were in single digit in Bangalore, over 40 were killed in Ahmadabad. These incidents were covered in ample detail by the media for several days, and the government quickly blamed terrorist groups for disturbing social peace and playing with human life.
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The stampede in Naina Devi killed 145 pilgrims. It was a headline yesterday, today it figured somewhere in the backpages of national dailies. The government announced a relief package and a magistrate level probe. Everything is seemingly back to business now.
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Why am I writing this? Does anyone else see a parallel?
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Casualties caused by civil neglect have been much higher than those caused by terrorist acts. Still, it's the latter which catches all the attention, and whatever remedial efforts GoI actually undertakes. How much of common sense does it take to ensure proper systems around key pilgrimages, especially the high-altitude ones? I remember something similar happening in a rally organised by Miss Mayawati years back, we never seem to learn.
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Naina Devi episode is not the first in the list, and sadly won't be the last. Still, we would be more concerned about the terrorist acts perpetuated by forces from across the border over which we do not have a direct control, when perfect ingredients of equally horrible tragedies are already there within our borders, something which GoI should (and could) have addressed long back.
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