Irremissible
Ensuring the safety of people against fire hazards in public utilities is the sole responsibility of government officials who have the remit to its oversight, control and prevention. The catastrophic fire, in 1997, at the Uphaar theatre in Delhi was due to the gross dereliction of duty by the fire department and supervising municipal officials. The Rajkot incident is similar. Apportioning the entire blame on the owners has been the routine. In doing so, the supervisory authority never gets pulled up, only to lead to another tragedy waiting to happen. If games are played unfairly, the umpire is the cause.
R. Narayanan,
Navi Mumbai
The fire accident pricks the conscience of every person who seeks human well-being. It is quite vacuous to be shedding crocodile tears after every mishap, which often happens due to the nonchalant attitude of the officials concerned.
Prabhakaran Vallath,
Vatakara, Kozhikode, Kerala
Urban apathy
Urban Indians choosing to stay away from voting has been aptly termed as urban apathy. In a democratic polity, our lawmakers are often seen to fail in their duty towards the well-being of citizens. Urban India seems to forget that even a single vote makes a lot of difference.
Prabhu Raj R.,
Bengaluru
Published - May 27, 2024 12:24 am IST
