Stop this callousness
The terrible tragedy of Baby Mahi, whose frail body was pulled out of a 70-ft borewell on Sunday after a relentless rescue operation lasting 85 hours is symptomatic of modern India that is a bundle of contradictions. On one hand, we boast of a ballistic defence missile shield that can ensure our cities are safe from external threats; on the other we can’t even enforce simple safety measures like capping a borewell hole to protect innocent citizens. Given the oxygen-starved environment deep in the ground into which a playful child had accidentally fallen, it was always unlikely she would survive the ordeal despite the power of a billon prayers and the outpouring of immense public outrage. The Army, police fire and health services and even the Metro Rail, with all its tunnelling expertise, responded selflessly to the emergency; but sadly there is no planning, no willpower, no willingness to spend an extra paisa to prevent such incidents that have no place in the post-modern era.
The callousness with which official India treats such incidents — notwithstanding Supreme Court strictures holding state chief secretaries responsible and culpable — is a clear sign that there is no accountability where governance is concerned, especially on matters like public safety. We all lament how cheap life is in India, but the reality on our streets that are a civic nightmare is far too horrible to behold. If Mahi’s totally unnecessary death can change our attitudes even an iota, her precious life will have served some purpose.
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