Why are there no punishments for major accidents in India?
Was the Morbi bridge accident just God’s will?
More than 130 people lost their lives due to hanging bridge collapse in Morbi, Gujarat. When the incident of the bridge collapse happened, this news made headlines in the media. There was talk of painful incident everywhere. During this, many office bearers including the manager of the company which was maintaining and operating the Morbi bridge were arrested. A team was formed to investigate the Morbi bridge collapse incident. Recently, in the CJM court, Deepak Parekh, a manager of the company, told that God’s will in the Morbi bridge collapse. This statement of the manager of the company raises many questions for the future. The incident in which more than 130 people have lost their lives due to corruption, greed and negligence. The officer of the company responsible for that incident is saying that all these people were killed by the will of God. The bridge was opened for the crowd of people without NOC from the departments. It is learned that in the year 2020, the Orewa company, which operated the bridge, had told the collector that till the permanent contract is not given to them. He will open the bridge to the public only by making temporary repairs to the bridge. The company had put together that only after their demand was fulfilled, they would do the work of repairing the bridge. This shows that the company wanted to earn money soon. Due to this haste of the company, a large number of people lost their lives. Now the company is pretending to be God’s will. This attitude of the manager of the company is embarrassing humanity. For all this, some officials of Morbi Municipality are no less responsible. He is also responsible for the death of more than 130 people. Some irresponsible officials of the municipality made an agreement with the Orewa company to maintain and operate the bridge on a stamp paper of only Rs 300. However, it is being told that Rs 31 lakh was also stolen in stamp paper duty.
There was complete fraud in Morbi bridge. If experts are to be believed, the bridge was not evaluated properly. Due to all these reasons, the hanging bridge of Morbi could not bear the weight of hundreds of people. The gathering of such a large number of people on the bridge also makes it the responsibility of the officers of the company. This is not the first incident of bridge collapse in Morbi. Even before this, very painful incidents happened on many bridges. Although these incidents were also investigated but no one was punished. Now the question arises whether the families of the victims of bridge collapse in Morbi will get justice. In the year 1979, the incident of breach of dam on Morbi Machhu river happened. The incident of breaking the dam was so big that according to government figures, about two thousand people were killed in it. According to the opposition parties of that time, more than two thousand people were killed in the incident of dam breaking in Morbi. Similarly, in the year 1981, a train was going to Saharsa from Mansi station in Bihar. When the train was passing through the bridge of the Bagmati river, there was a sudden jolt. Before anyone could understand anything, 7 coaches of the train fell from the bridge into the river. More than 500 people were killed in the incident on the Bagmati river. The incident was thoroughly investigated. Despite the death of more than 500 people in the incident, no one was punished. In 2001, more than 60 people were killed in a rail bridge accident on the Kadalundi river in Kerala state. In this incident also an inquiry committee was constituted. But even in this investigation, the victims’ families could not get justice. Even in this incident of Kerala, no one was punished. In the year 2002, a painful train accident occurred on the Rafiganj bridge in Bihar. The Rajdhani Express had derailed on a bridge over the Dhave river in north-central India. 117 people were killed in the Bihar train accident. In this incident also a high level inquiry committee was formed. This incident of Bihar was also investigated, but no one was punished. In the year 2005, a major train accident occurred on the railway bridge at Leligoda in Andhra Pradesh. More than 100 people lost their lives and more than 200 were injured in this incident. The situation was such that the Railway Department and the Irrigation Department kept blaming each other.
If these incidents are seen, then it is known that a large number of people are killed. Such big incidents become media headlines. Inquiry committees are also formed every now and then. At that time, big leaders and officials reach the spot. After the incident, promises are made to punish the guilty. But gradually the news of the incident disappears from the pages of the media. Inquiry committees keep on conducting their own investigations. Surprisingly, the families of the victims keep watching every moment when they will get justice. Despite all this, no one gets punishment for the culprits of the incident. The system in the country has become such that most of the accused of murdering people, rapists, looting the money of the general public keep roaming on the streets. If for some reason such rich accused even go to jail for some time. There too, they used to get VIP facility or else they go to the hospital talking about their health. Taking bail comfortably, they continue to live Ash’s life in their society. Due to the corruption system, the accused are not punished for many years.
