If Cost of death escalates, will the State invest in keeping its citizens alive?
The tragic air accident in Ahmedabad involving the Air India flight has shocked the world. Air travel is one of the safest modes of transport, and when such a tragedy occurs, it is heartbreaking. Although nothing can compensate for the loss of life of the dear ones, Air India's parent company, Tata, has announced a compensation of `1 crore for the families of the victims. Though this may appear generous, under the international Montreal Convention, the airline is liable to pay a compensation amounting to 1,51,880 Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) per deceased passenger. This translates to approximately Rs 1.8 crore at the current exchange rates to the next of kin. It is unclear whether the Tata offer is in addition to the mandatory payment of Rs 1.8 crore as per law.
A few days before the tragic air accident, some passengers of Mumbai's infamous local trains fell off the overcrowded compartments and died. These were daily commuters struggling to make a living in one of the world's most prosperous cities. The Maharashtra government promptly announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakhs. Railways have remained silent so far, but as per the Railways Act of 1989, the Railways are bound to give a compensation of Rs 8 lakh. For this, the kin of the victim will have to file a claim with the Railway Claims Tribunal, and the compensation may take many years to be fruitful, if at all. On an average, the passengers in an international flights are wealthier than an average commuter in a Mumbai local. The disparity in compensation between the two sets of victims is glaring. All lives are equal, but some lives are more equal in our society.
Life is so cheap in India. The victory celebration of the IPL champions claimed many lives in Bengaluru a few weeks ago. Many died in a stampede in Kumbh Mela; we don't even know how many actually died there. The accident in Mumbai local that claimed five lives are in headlines only because they happened together in one tragic accident. It is estimated that on an average seven people die every day in accidents related to Mumbai local. That is around three thousand victims a year. To put things in perspective, total number of terror victims in India last year was 87, including the terrorists killed. In other words, commuting to office or college in a Mumbai local is more dangerous than living in a terror-prone area.
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