Your editorial “Accidents multiply” (July 22) points out that the corporate safety plan of the railways, formulated in 2003, visualised that collisions would be totally eliminated by extensive use of anti-collision devices (ACDs), but progress on this front has been slow. On an over 63,000-km route network, anti-collision devices had been installed on only 1,736 km by 2008-09 and the reason cited for the slow progress is that the ACD technology currently available is not very effective. With modern technology advancing, there is no justification for the railways to just sit on the issue caring little for the precious lives lost in train accidents.
It is shocking that instead of feeling sorry for so many rail accidents that have occurred during her tenure, instead of seriously looking into the causes and taking remedial measures to prevent such accidents in future, Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee is trying to get political mileage by politicising human tragedy. She has hinted at CPI-M’s hand in the train accident at Sainthia station in which 61 people died as well as the May 28 Jnaneshwari Express accident in West Midnapore district in which at least 148 people were killed, just two days before the July 21 Martyrs’ rally and ahead of the civic polls. Scoring brownie points in the midst of a tragedy is simply unacceptable and Banerjee, therefore, should resign. This will ensure that innocent rail passengers are saved from falling prey to her political rivalry.
M C Joshi, Lucknow
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