Death on the tracks

THIS is not the first time we are reporting on the death of individuals on railway tracks in Kawran Bazaar area. Any death is a tragedy and when multiple deaths occur, our hearts go out to the bereaved families of the deceased. What answer will authorities give this time round? That an illegal fish market has been thriving on railway tracks is open knowledge and to feign ignorance will simply not do. Every time a tragedy like this occurs, we the media cover it and point out the obvious. The government launches an eviction drive to remove squatters and illegal structures in the vicinity and make lofty promises of change, which unfortunately are unimplemented. After a few weeks, the structures and the businesses return, until the next tragic incident.

This time round, railway police have been removing the makeshift market on and along the railway tracks. We are informed by the authorities that no such illegal structure or business will be allowed to occupy and operate on railway tracks. The sad reality is that such assurances sound hollow as they have been made on numerous occasions in the past. Investigative journalism by both print and electronic media has revealed that the businesses are allowed to operate on such dangerous premises because a share of the profits goes to the police and the ruling party activists in the form of protection money. Hence, until that racket is dealt with, incidents like the one that occurred on September 11 will continue and promises made by the government will continue to be fake.