HVK Archives: Amarnath Compensation -I
Amarnath Compensation -I - The Time of India
Dilip Joshi
()
16 September 1996
Title : Amarnath Compensation - I
Author : Dilip Joshi
Publication : The Time of India
Date : September 16, 1996
Swami Agnivesh, in questioning the propriety of the
government's announcing monetary compensation to the
families of the Amarnath tragedy victims, has raised a
very pertinent point.
Every now and then we hear of the government
announcing
ex-gratia payment to the next of kin of victims of natu-
ral calamities, accidents, illicit liquor poisoning, food
poisoning and so on. On the face of it, it would appear
callous to question this practice but even if the issue.
is a sensitive one, it needs to be addressed squarely and
objectively.
Payment to the next of kin of, say, a rail accident
casualty is justifiable since passenger safety is the
government's responsibility; indeed, more often than not,
this becomes a face-saving device for the government and
also serves to mollify bereaved relatives and blunt the
Opposition attack. On the other hand, giving compensa-
tion to the families of hooch victims clearly smacks of
an effort to gain political mileage out of the tragedy
under the guise of compassion.
Relatives of the casualties of road accidents involving
private vehicles know how difficult and long-drawn-out
the process of getting legitimate compensation from the
insurance companies is. Why shouldn't they be paid by
the government?
It is understood that the government machinery failed at
the time of the Amarnath tragedy. But, then, the govern-
ment is also responsible for maintaining safe traffic
conditions.
Without in any way wishing to undermine the enormity of
the tragedy, I do feel that the complex issue of compen-
sation needs to be addressed by the government in a less
arbitrary fashion.
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