February Storms, poor measures & deaths - Feb 06, 2013

RAINS IN FEBRUARY 2013, DEATHS OF POOR PEOPLE AGAIN AND BAD ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES OF THE GOVERNMENT

-      Translated from Syed Talat Hussain’s Urdu article “JANAZE AUR PAKORAY”

    February 6, 2013

As the leaving winter season picked its lost colors with rain storms, people all over the country started enjoying the change with good food and fried items. However, it is due to the system’s weaknesses and poor administrative measures of the government that the nature presented a new test again. Storms, floods and rains always cause losses of life and mostly it is the poor class which is affected with 25 deaths this time. Thousands of villages have been cut off from main regions and there is scarcity of major items there now. These deaths occurred due to ceilings crashing, drowning in open gutters, electrocution and severe cold. Death is an ultimate reality but the issue is that these lives were mostly lost due to lingering shortfalls in the system. Why should people live in frail houses or inside weak walls if these had been constructed according to some planning? Why should people be forced to shiver in slum cottages? Why should villages be cut off from cities? But that is controllable only if the administration has planned and prepared for the severe seasonal conditions. Yesterday, the judges of Supreme Court gave these comments. 

-     Chief Justice said, “Many lives were lost in floods because timely measures were not taken, and all people just look at each other’s faces.”

-          Justice Gulzar Ahmad said, “Federal government is automatically absolved from this and it does not take any measures. It doesn't have to do anything and just lets the country drown.”

-          Justice Sheikh Azmat said, “Please don’t give us English, give us Statistics about any measures taken.”

-          Chief Justice, “Don’t put human lives in danger for political gain. If floods come, all poor people will die.”

The above account shows that nobody is bothered about the poor in the country. Common people are just good to win votes from and making money out of the whole exercise. Climatic conditions shake the systems of even the progressive and prosperous countries. In our country, the stormy weather turns the conditions into worst form of crises as the powerful elements in the country are more interested in frying PAKORAAS than saving the lives of people. Their pockets and houses are warm. Whether someone is stuck under the debris of fallen ceiling or trapped in snow, they do not care. They are only fond of showing off two fingers as a sign of victory on TV.

URDU ARTICLE LINK: http://www.saach.tv/2013/02/06/janaze-aur-pakoray/