Token award for the heroes of Rajdhani Fire Accident - Shame for the Nation of Billion

Recently there was a fire few days back in one of the most prestigious trains called Rajdhani Express. Four coaches were gutted including the pantry cars and thank fully no one was hurt. The news was covered by almost all the media in detail. The train was running between Delhi and Mumbai.

Today the railways announced a prize for the pantry staffers who helped to contain the scale of the tragedy and helped the passengers escape the accident. There was not even a single casualty which is usually a rarity with railway accidents in India. No minister had to resign no blames and no politics was required. There was a commission set up to investigate the incident as it usually is in all such cases and I guess it will be the first or last time we hear about it or it’s recommendations.

There were 30 staffers in pantry at the time of the accident and 9 of them are said to have displayed heroics beyond the call of duty.  The blaze broke out at 2:20 AM. They pulled the chain – a mechanism to stop the train, alerted the passengers and helped them evacuate. They even delinked the burning coaches from the rest of the train to prevent a major disaster. In simple words, the cost of the disaster in terms of just loss to railways would have run into thousands of dollars easily let alone the shame and disgrace for the biggest rail traffic carrier. It is a different story that railways is so used to this that it doesn’t even bother any more with accidents which don't kill people.

These railway staffers are most probably the employees of catering service and am not even sure if they are on Railway payrolls. They were honored today and a princely sum of Rs. 3000 was collectively given as a token amount to 9 of them.  That is approximately INR 333.33 – what else could be more derogatory? Compare it to the 212 passengers were paid about INR 5000 each as compensation for the gutted luggage. That that USD 8 per person but it is just a token of appreciation.

Let’s step back few days our glorious cricketers won the world cup. Millions of rupees were showered on them and these are boys who already have millions in the bank. Most of them are sitting on pile of it and some even have net worth almost more than the cost of the whole train and they for sure did a good job lifting the World Cup.

Haven’t we lost our sanity? 

I am sure we have.  It was not only the government but the corporate showering money on these cricketers. They all wanted a share of the pie and world cup euphoria but these 9 people they played with their lives to save more than 1000 passengers on that night. The death toll would have been more than the number of players in the cricket match including the commentators, extras and even the officials.

Is there even a comparison between the two and if there is on any day the bravery and presence of mind of these pantry boys is worth much more than any currency and maybe that’s why the “token” amount.

Indian’s usually aren’t concerned with the other fellow countrymen. We don’t report crimes. We hide information. We cuddle back in our houses when someone needs help because we know that no one will help us. God forbid one of these guys would have been disabled or burnt during the accident. He would have been in the limelight of channels – his grieving widow and mom on TV for TRP and then what?

We have already forgotten the heroes of the Delhi bomb blast – what about all the commandos fighting in the Taj in Mumbai. You know why we call them Heroes? I guess because it is a generic term and easy to remember than the individual names.Let's talk about one of them. Kuldeep Singh (32) who lost both his eyes while he was evacuating the people from his bus. He was evacuating people when some one alerted him about the bomb. He saved lives of 60 people and hadn't even received the full compensation until Apr 2006. The blasts occurred on 30th Oct,2005.  Read more about him here.

When interviewed Kuldeep said "if you were in my position, you would have done the same thing" .If you were to step into the shoes of Kuldeep would you lift that bomb - he was sure about what it was and loose your both eyes, cripple your career your life. I am a shamed to admit I would have run away. Isn't is easy to think why we don't give way to ambulances. Why people don't stop to  help on highways. There are no rewards for these things not morally, not emotionally and there are eternal complications police, lawyers, court cases.

We can say the case has always been the case of the humble souls like Kuldeep fight for the rights and security of the riches and even state and today am not only ashamed but sorry for being an Indian. But I guess who cares IPL is on, we have lifted the WC - Sachin and Dhoni are batting. I will also crib about it and then even I don't know what to do.

References:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/rajdhani-staff-got-us-out-spread-blankets-on-field-till-help-came/777980/

Credits for the photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalyan/455432870/