Apathetic Sea of Humanity

At least two people are run over by trains everyday, rashly crossing railway tracks. But Daisy Challa8217;s only fault was using the foot overbridge to cross over, just when the police lathi charged commuters. Tuesday evening at Andheri station, eyewitnesses saw this 58-year-old lady topple over and hit the concrete, moments before being run over by a sea of humanity fleeing police lathis.

The eyewitnesses were in too much of a hurry to help her up. The hands that dart out of trains to yank the grateful commuter onboard a departing local, had vanished in this case. Urban angst or just plain apathy. This horrific incident, which could happen to anyone, brings forth the general senselessness in the country8217;s commuting capital. If its not the lemming-like frenzy which sees Mumbai8217;s commuters leap to their death out of running trains, then its Tuesdays incident which sees them trample one of their own. Rioting by lumpen elements is by no means justifiable, but nor is a mindless lathi charge at rush hour in thepacked confines of the city8217;s busiest stations. Should the treatment usually reserved for a hard core criminal be wielded on a nine to five white collar employee? In such situations, lathi charges by the guardians of the law only serve to spread terror and and trigger off stampedes.

The law of the jungle immediately takes over. And somewhere down the line, the juggernaut trundles over an innocent person. The knee-jerk enquiries have already begun. Needless to say, the saga of this lady who was trampled to death will be termed as an unfortunate accident and filed away on a dusty shelf.

Efficient though they may be, Mumbai8217;s railway platforms offer little comfort. Safety it seems, is the latest casualty.