INDIAN Railways have reiterated that the derailment of the Dibrugarh-bound Rajdhani Express near Chhapra in Bihar killing four passengers and injuring more than 20 was caused by sabotage. The rail clips used for joining tracks were apparently found to have been removed at the accident site. A probe has been ordered. A railway official dismissed the argument that the engine and the first bogey would not have crossed the stretch if the tracks had been tampered with. Minister of state for Railways who visited the site had also argued that the missing clips indicated that the job was done by some trained people. It is obvious that the authorities are putting the blame on Maoists. The Bihar government has understandably said that there was no evidence to show a Maoist role in the derailment and attributed it to poor maintenance of tracks. It is again a Centre-state disagreement. It is also true that though law and order has deteriorated in Bihar, the Maoist menace has not been in evidence in that state. But it can always spread from Jharkhand. The Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has stressed the need for the Centre and affected states to adopt a uniform approach to contain the Maoist threat. It has to be handed to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that her state alone has succeeded in wiping out the Maoist menace from Jangalmahal.
Around 650 railway accidents occurred owing to derailment between 2005-06 and 2013-14. 281 passengers have been killed and 1,349 injured. It is indeed a sad reflection on the efficiency of the Railways in maintaining the tracks. Train fares and freight have been hiked significantly. If the passengers have to pay through the nose, it is the responsibility of the Railways to ensure their safety, whatever may cause frequent accidents. A blame game will not do.
