Editorial
Deaths at Sadarghat
Launch passengers' life on wafer thin edge
The way two children died at Sadarghat river terminal on Sunday is another shocking example of human life being attached little value to. The two siblings were reportedly trying to board a boat when they were crushed between two launches. Was it really an accident or a plain case of pushing two innocent children to death? They were forced to do something which was extremely hazardous.
Public safety and regard for human life appear to figure nowhere in our life today. Else, the two little siblings would not have died under such unfortunate circumstances. The launch operators were clearly oblivious of the presence of a little boat in between the two vessels. There was nobody to alert them and the small boat finally was sandwiched between the two heavy vessels, leaving the two siblings dead on the spot. How could people be so callous and irresponsible? Is it the system alone which is failing or have we been desensitized to the point where nothing really moves us?
The deaths on the boat are not to be treated as a mishap that could not be prevented. Actually, the conditions for people to die in accidents are very much present here. A photo published in this newspaper yesterday shows how people were jumping from one launch to another, as the launch could not find space at the terminal. The photo could send a chill down any sane human being's spine as the passengers were boarding the launch at the grave risk of losing their lives. But risk is no longer the thing that people bother about.
Now, whose fault is it? The Sadarghat terminal does not have enough space for the large number of launches to dock. This is no doubt a serious problem, but we do not know what the authorities are doing to set things right. And what about those small boats moving dangerously around the launches?
The authorities concerned have to pay a little more attention to the safety of launch passengers. Obviously, the little boats used to board or get down from a launch are very unsafe. Similarly, allowing people to jump on to a launch outside the jetty area is equally hazardous. These risky practices must be stopped forthwith.
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