Recently 89 helpless patients died in a fire at the AMRI Hospital in Kolkata. That state’s CM Mamtha Banerjee immediately announced a compensation of Rs. 3 lakh for families of patients who are “not very well off”. The hospital, from their side, has announced a compensation of Rs. 5 lakh each. So it’s done, in Indian style — pay money, push for time, wait for memories to fade and all is back to the usual rot - ridden normalcy.

Yes, indeed AMRI should be held responsible, but who will hold the Health Department, the Fire Department, the local Municipality or Corporation who gave clearance responsible? So the government washes its hands off by paying Rs. 3 lakhs of our taxpayers money while the Directors of AMRI are taken into custody. Prison for AMRI’s Directors but just a warning or may be an eyewash suspension for the government employees.

But why are safety rules neglected? It is usually for greed, need or convenience. Also people feel that even if you follow the law you have to pay a bribe anyway, so, why must one spend that extra money to make a building safety compliant? After all, a fire incident may never occur and even if it does it can be easily handled with compensation to the victim’s family and some kind “gesture” towards the investigating agencies.

It is time we changed the way we implement safety compliance and rescue operations. In a country that is as over populated as ours, it is impossible for the government to have a 100 % safety monitoring system that is 100 % free of corruption. Instead, citizens have to take responsibility for their safety. The government can then build on this by providing strong laws, its implementation and infrastructure. And more importantly we must find innovative ways of enhancing our safety response times, rescue methods and rescue equipment.

In Kolkata, the lanes around the hospital were so narrow that fire engines could not enter. This being the case, can’t the government come up with new fire dousing vehicles designed to tackle the millions of narrow lanes in our country which are hot-spots for fire mishaps?

India is a unique nation in the sense that we live in organised chaos. And in such a nation everything has to be customised for our unique situation, landscape and mentality. Simply importing fire engines from a western nation will not do the trick. It will be more practical to borrow tested technology and build upon it equipment that is practical for use in our congested factories and by lanes.

Speaking of coustomising safety, recently I had been to a wood factory where there were two very similar looking machines. But one had an ugly grill in the middle of it, significantly reducing its aesthetic appeal and hindering machine maintenance. The other one without the ugly grill, looked clean and sophisticated. When I asked the production manager about why one had that ugly grill while the other one didn’t, he told us that both the machines were the same and imported from Germany. But one had a grill for practicality?!

He then went on to explain that both the machines had protective laser beams placed 2 feet before the cutter so when a worker’s finger crossed it, it would immediately stop the machine. Then he added, “But our workers have a habit of talking while using the machines and they almost every time cross over the laser beams and the machine keeps stopping. So a few weeks ago, without our knowledge, one of the workers removed the laser wires and disengaged it. And a few days ago the same fellow as usual was chatting and put his arm further than the safety line. The machine did not stop as he had disabled the laser and now he has lost a part of his little finger. So yesterday we have put a metal grill over one and we are waiting to put the same on the other one! We are customising safety method to match our people’s mind set.” And then jokingly added, “Laser works in the west. For us, metal grill is the best.”

He then added in frustration, “We spend extra money and provide all the safety measures. Workers don’t follow it and then ask us for compensation.” In another factory, the US returned factory owner provided safety goggles to workers who never used it while working but conveniently made it their riding glasses.

While this may be the case among not very educated factory workers, the mind - set is the same among many educated Indians also — the kind who don't wear helmets, seat belts and even those high - flying executives who pop up like something bit their bottom even before the aircraft has come to a complete halt. After all that rushing you will see these “hurry bhais” standing next to you at the luggage pick up! What was the need to rush then?

Many of us suffer from this “rush – o – mania”. May be this is because in an over populated nation like ours we are always in fear that we may not get what is ours so, we are now genetically tuned to rush, grab and possess even when there is no need to. And in our rush, we either end up becoming safety hazards or victims.

So while we never miss a beat when it comes to blaming the government, have the citizens of this country ever taken safety seriously? Never. Indians believe in destiny and prayers a little too much. We find easy justification for avoidable tragedies in the philosophy of Karma. Any mishap that happens due to our negligence we simply look up at the sky and cleanse our irresponsibility with just one line “all God’s wish.” A convenient way to pass off the blame on God. And so we continue to ignore all safety systems in place — from not wearing a helmet, to racing at red traffic lights, to not thinking twice before sending our children in an overcrowded auto.

We are so callous when it comes to safety that one would think we are a suicidal bunch. But actually in our country financial viability first, safety next, at least among the poor. For the rich Indians, its convenience first, safety next. And so, all of us are guilty of the same irresponsibility, which we blame the government of. We don’t care for our own safety, so why will our government?

Vikram Muthanna
vikram@starofmysore.com
Courtesy: Star of Mysore