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Accidents can take
place anywhere. Even the most advanced technology can’t ensure accident free and
hundred percent safe working conditions. Accidents if they are truly ‘accidents’
in a real sense can’t make any particular person responsible. What is required
in any true accident is a scientific investigation into it, to find out the
reasons and take necessary remedies to avoid recurrence of such incidents. And
particularly when there are a series of accidents costing large numbers of human
lives such introspection and investigation shouldn’t be confined to the
incidents in an isolated manner, but look at it from an overall point of view.
The recent increase in number of accidents in the railways requires such
introspection. But what is deplorable is the approach taken by railway officials
who are supposed to ensure safe and comfortable travel of passengers. Not only
is their attitude towards such accidents casual, the reasons they cite are
bewildering. Technology alone can’t ensure safety. It is ultimately human
intervention and a human approach, which can ensure safety.
There has been an
unbelievable growth in the frequency of accidents in the last year in
particular. It now appears that railway accidents have become a regular
phenomenon (at the time of writing this article another train met with an
accident at Dehradun). The high frequency of these accidents has made the
authorities go on the defensive. The reasons and remedies they cite not only
shows their myopic view but also their irresponsible behaviour. One top official
even talked in terms of organising a puja to propitiate the gods, as the "stars"
were to blame for the difficult times. He even went ahead to give a scientific
logic, saying that the radio-activity (cosmic influence) at the accident spots
was higher than it is in nearby areas!
Another reason
normally cited by the railway officials, including the Ministers, is sabotage by
militant groups. In spite of the fact that it is proven on many occasions that
there was no sabotage the immediate response of the Minister was always only
sabotage. This is a convenient method to absolve themselves of responsibility
and also to discredit the militants. And, when even this is not possible, they
go so far as to blame their own staff.
Let us take the
accident of the Golconda Express at Warangal, which claimed 21 lives. The
Railway officials succeeded in creating confusion in the public as to how the
accident occurred. Given the location, Warangal there was first speculation
about sabotage by ‘extremists’. But fearing that their theory will not go well
with the people of this struggle area, they came up with the excuse of break
failure; and later they washed their hands off the incident by declaring it as
another case of human failure and suspending six officials, including the
Divisional Mechanical Engineer.
Of late, the Indian
Railways have gone so far as to claim a steady decline in the number of
accidents, by comparing it with the magnitude of its operations. They argue that
the Indian Railways carries 14 million passengers everyday, traverses two
million train kilometers and operates 8,700 passenger trains plus 5,700 freight
trains. By showing these impressive operational statistics, the Railway
authorities say that a stray accident here or there is ‘inevitable’. But the
recent regular recurrence of accidents both major and minor will certainly
negate their argument.
A white paper on
Indian Railway safety issued by the Ministry of Railways states that 75 percent
of the accidents on the system are due to derailments, which accounts for 14
percent of the deaths in railway accidents. Second most important reason cited
in that paper is the accidents at unmanned level crossings, which accounts for
12 percent of accidents but 37 percent of deaths. The Railway officials
concluded that ‘human failure’ is the reason for most of the accidents. When the
authorities are so sure that derailment and human failure are the main culprits,
they should have paid more attention to these problems. The safety fund of Rs
17,000 crores must have been used for maintenance works, track renewal,
modernization of signals and above all training and re-training of personnel. It
shouldn’t have cut down its operation and maintenance staff to reduce its
operational costs. What are required are the health and fitness of the crew
together with better preventive maintenance. The engine crew, the station staff
and those who are patrolling the tracks or manning the level crossing need to be
alert and fully fit. Their health and habits have to be continuously monitored.
But exactly the opposite is true. With the govt.’s policies of ‘economic
reforms’ and the goal to maximize profits, even of a public utility, there have
been major cuts in staff and maintenance costs. This, in fact, is the chief
cause for the growth in the number of accidents.
The Indian Railways
has grown in size from 53.6 thousand Kms to 63 thousand Kms; its goods earnings
from Rs.139.3 crores to Rs.24,586.8 crores; its passenger earnings from Rs.98.2
crores to Rs.11,196 crores; — all during the period between 1950-51 to 2001-02.
The total passengers traveling per annum increased from 128.4 crores to 509.30
crores. In spite of all this huge growth, the employment in the railways have
shown a steady decline.
The so-called "human
error" is the result of many factors. Drivers and the running staff work
irregular hours and suffer from safety risks due to disturbed sleep patterns.
Studies have shown that engine drivers are less alert and are most likely to
commit errors between midnight and dawn. Alertness levels also decline with age
and it is ironical that as drivers grow older, they are entrusted with faster
trains. Because of decreasing number of drivers (as there is no fresh
recruitment) this situation has arisen. Instead of other alternative jobs to
these aging drivers and recruiting new and young personnel the Railway Minister
promptly responded by offering VRS to them and cutting down jobs even further.
The most important
reason for the accidents, which everyone is conveniently ignoring is the
perennial shortfall in maintenance staff. It is an open secret that every year
new trains are introduced without sanctioning the staff required for maintaining
them. In some cases, maintenance teams have been allocated years after the
introduction of trains.
Let us try to
understand the real reason for this increasing number of accidents. Ever since
the introduction of the present phase of economic reforms, there is pressure on
the Railways to reduce its operational expenses and raise its revenues.
The Railways too are
a victim of the decade long push towards economic liberalisation. On the one
hand it is a social utility organisation and on the other hand like any other
profit- oriented organisation it is expected to generate profits by cutting down
its operating costs. As a commercial organisation, the Railways are told to earn
its keep. So the Railways are, by and large, expected to raise its own
resources.
Ever since the
introduction of the present phase of economic reforms, it has been forced to
borrow increasing sums every year from the open market at high interest rates.
Today, it is virtually in a debt trap.
But thanks to the
commitment of our ruling classes to their imperialist masters the Railways came
out of this dilemma and is now determined to become a profit making organisation.
That is the reason why it finds that efforts for strengthening and streamlining
safety costs are prohibitive. In spite of shamelessly collecting safety
surcharge on passengers it is not able to ensure their safety.
Despite a nearly 535%
increase in passenger traffic and 360% increase in freight traffic the number of
employees in the Railways has gone down from about 18 lakhs to 15.10 lakhs. The
Railways have further aimed to reduce this workforce to 14 lakhs by the end of
this decade. The Railways have achieved this by outsourcing (contracting) many
of its operations. This indirect privatisation of the Railways is increasing day
by day. Quite naturally with the starvation wages to contract labour, and
corruption associated with giving contracts, maintenance standards drop —
particularly seen on the tracks, leading to the derailments.
With 15.10 lakh
strong work-force, the Railways is still the largest employer. What is being
said as a ‘human failure’ amounts to a direct attack on the working class. The
established trade unions (including CPI/CPM), instead of exposing this evil
design the of ruling class and uphold working class pride, are collaborating
with them. In fact, both the railway workers and the passengers are the common
victims of the management and govt. policies. The former are affected by wage
cuts, contracting, VRS, etc, the latter suffer from growing accidents due to
poor maintenance. The working class and the public at large need to unite to
oppose this propaganda and fight against these policies. Immediately there need
to be a demand for an end to the policy of retrenchment and filing of all vacant
posts, stopping the contractual system and increasing expenditure on maintenance
and safety measures. Only then will accidents decrease.
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