Probe Into Amritsar Train Accident Puts Blame on 'Negligence' of People
New Delhi: An inquiry into the Amritsar train accident, in which over 60 people were killed and 143 injured on the night of Dussehra, has given a clean chit to the Indian Railways, instead blaming the tragedy on 'negligence' of people trespassing onto railway tracks.
According to Hindustan Times, S.K. Pathak, the chief commissioner of railway safety, stated: “the reason for the accident is negligence of persons reportedly standing on and near the railway tracks witnessing Dusshera Mela at Dhobi Ghat.”
The incident occurred on the evening of October 19 in the Joda Phatak area when a train mowed into a crowd watching the Dussehra festivities that had spilled onto railway tracks while watching the burning of a Ravana effigy. The bursting of the crackers from the effigy had reportedly drowned out the noise of the approaching Jalandhar-Amritsar DMU train. “Some of the policemen tried to move the crowd away from tracks, but the crowd did not listen to them,” as per the report.
Also read: The Aftermath of the Deadly Amritsar Train Accident
The accident had sparked protests with locals holding a sit-in and shouting slogans against the state government and demanding action against the train’s driver.
Writing for The Wire, Chander Suta Dogra focused on the various institutions that failed the people of Amritsar that day:
"The deaths on Dussehra show that the culture of passing the buck has begun to extract its toll. Can the local administration in any self-respecting democracy take refuge behind the question of whether permission was granted or not? Is it not its normal duty to take note of any large gathering in its beat, and ensure that it passes off smoothly without being given instructions to do so?
This was the occasion of Dussehra when everyone in town, including the local administration, knew that effigies would be burnt. No one can hide behind the excuse that they had no information about the function. It is also hard to imagine that there is no standard operating procedure in place for such occasions. Because if there are, they weren’t visible that evening."
Classifying the accident as an “error in working by public near railway line,” Pathak stated in the inquiry report that “prior intimation to railway administration be given by the district administration/organisers to hold big events like mela/rally so that railway can take proper precautions in consultation with stakeholders.”
Also read: The Amritsar Train Accident and the BJP 'Witness' Who Wasn't
He further recommended interactions with locomotive drivers who have witnessed tragic accidents on the railway track as these “go a long way in leaving a lasting impression on the minds of youngsters. These experiments have been very successful in some countries in driving the point home in target groups.”
The Central government has said that it is considering the findings of Pathak's preliminary report, Scroll.in reported.
A day after the accident on October 19, the Railways had termed it a “case of trespassing” and washed its hands off the matter, saying that it had not been intimated about the Dussehra event in advance.
In early November, it had finally agreed to probe the matter, but Pathak had said at the time that on the basis of initial evidence, Railways was not to blame for the accident.
(With agency inputs)
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