Let compassion come first!

PUBLIC MEMORY is indeed ephemeral. But try recollecting the reaction-action of the US government immediately after the twin tower tragedy. Was the US government announcing financial compensation for the lives lost in the worst-ever terrorist strike that hit the superpower or did we see them completely immersed in rescue and relief operations? Answer would be -- the government acted more than it reacted. Later of course it retaliated.

PUBLIC MEMORY is indeed ephemeral. But try recollecting the reaction-action of the US government immediately after the twin tower tragedy. Was the US government announcing financial compensation for the lives lost in the worst-ever terrorist strike that hit the superpower or did we see them completely immersed in rescue and relief operations? Answer would be -- the government acted more than it reacted. Later of course it retaliated.

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Compare it with the behaviour of both the Central and UP governments post Meerut inferno, Varanasi blast and Aligarh clashes. Much before the district administrations could come to grips with the highly explosive situations; both the governments were promptly announcing monetary compensation, both for those killed and for those injured.

Instead of rushing rescue teams, they were putting a price on each and every life, that too at the time when even the family members were not sure whether they had lost their kin or there was still a glimmer of hope. Compensation came as a slap and not a balm much before the dead could reach the mortuary and injured hospitals. Many even felt that the two governments literally vied with each other to make the announcement first. What it led to – fake claims, fake bodies. After all the announcements came before the actual casualty was known, before the actual dimension of the tragedy was assessed.

Why? Could there be any logic behind such promptness? Is it a price for peace or life? If the general belief that life is priceless is true, then is this promptness to buy peace? If that is so then why Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav had to face public anger in Meerut or why there were anti-government slogans in Varanasi? He or his government simply had no role to play in the two unfortunate incidents, yet he faced public ire?

The government could be held responsible for deviating from the age-old tradition of sending competent senior officers to big districts like Meerut and Varanasi. Just a reminder, often officers did two district postings before they were sent to big/prime/sensitive districts. But now when merit has taken a backseat before the price paid for the allotment of the district, seniority and experience matter little. Thus the anger was more because of the shabby relief operations and not less or more compensation. How can one silence a father going mad in search of his son by Rs five or Rs two lakh compensation?

Why talk about compensation at the time when there is need for compassion and concern? Perhaps one needs to put one self in a similar situation to understand the pain of losing someone precious in an accident like this. Money cannot compensate a life, whether it is that of a rich or poor, Muslim or a Hindu.

In fact till late 1980s there was no system of distributing financial relief in such tragedies. Government used to either write off revenue dues or grant loans in cases of natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, and cold wave deaths.

Compensations for deaths in tragedies like fire, road accident, were unheard off.

Senior bureaucrats recall how Mulayam had announced financial relief for students who were wrongly rounded up from a religious institution in India. The practice continued, with successive governments making such announcements for vested political interests.

One wonders if the family members of the victims even remember the money doled out to them in lieu of the precious life lost when they go to the polling booth. But little concern or compassion would go a long way. They would remain indebted forever. It’s for the political parties to understand that compensation should follow compassion and not vice versa. Perhaps the government needs to evolve a methodology, a system under which compensation would be announced. Let it not be whimsical!