After living together, dining together and travelling together, the pyres burn together on the return journey for the thirty victims of Tuesday’s tragic road accident near Mysore.
The accident, on a pathetic road, a so-called “national highway” that connects Karnataka to two important States, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, holds a mirror to the concern for human life.
The mass cremation of the deceased took place at Aralakuppe village in Mandya district on Wednesday.
Photograph: Karnataka Photo News
churumuri 
Damn.
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Whilst I empathize with what you are trying to say, I strongly believe that you should not be publishing such disturbing photographs. There are ways to put across your point in writing alone, & you, of all people would know that. A picture might be worth a thousand words, but it might not always be the right medium.
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Don’t know which babus and politicians ate the money. India’s “national highways” are a disgrace. You should only see how much precaution they take in the United States even for a small road work.
Our country has a shoddy record of safety. Be it on roads or trains (which run with doors open) and the babus and netas can’t think beyond next big contract and how to make more land.
I am sorry to say this but US county roads (which are like district roads — ji. mu. ra. — jilla mukhya rashte) are a thousand times better than India’s so-called national highways.
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What to say? Whom to blame? Is it the PWD which is supposed to keep roads in reasonable condition? Is it the KSRTC which is supposed to run buses to villages? Is it the apathy of the MLAs and MPs? Is it the harmless Kannadiga who does not wish to ask for his rights? No idea….
I am frustrated on having to identify myself as a Kannadiga. Our situation is worse than Biharis of Laloo’s eon.
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let people watch what happens when you vote thief his gangsters. Vote sensibly and at least now forsake the indifferent attitude. People are too much indifferent to their surroundings.
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Apathy is seen in maintaining roads leading to Sathyamangalam, ooty,kozhikode from Mysore by Karnataka govt. For eg Look at Hasanur in TN, the road condition will differentiate TN and KA. Felt very sad when i travelled from Nanjangud to Sathyamangalam last year after seeing the Road condition.
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I think its the problem with our attitude when ever something is wrong, we don’t protest only when some tragic happens we try find what went wrong. Not this this road there are many other roads in karnataka some National highway and state roads which are pathetic condition.For eg National highway road from Chitradurga to the Famous Tourist place Hampi is in third class state central government is least bothered and state government doesn’t want apply any pressure government inspite of having 3 cabinet and one state minister.Also Mangalore highway is worst especially shiradi ghat stretch unfit for cycles also.
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Hello Mr Leader,
Whom should I vote. I feel sad to tell you whom I voted in last election has turned out biggest T(C)hief Miniter of this state.
I am totally let down by so called party with difference.
I have voted same party since 1989 LS polls with missing even a single election.
Henceforth I will not be using my voting power.
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there is no value for human life in India.. Just take beggars death example more than 60 people died in a span of few days, there was a cry about organs trade racket but nothing happened except that an inquiry was conducted.
31 people died in this accident due to gross negligence of government machinary, state blames highway is union subject and union government blames traffic but nobody gets any punishment but walks freely. Government is proactive in declaring compensation, if they had spent same 31 lakhs on the road to build barricade to the lake before all these lives could have been saved at least but now what is the use of this compensation??????
Do we need another Prashanth Bhushan or Subramanian swamy to file a PIL and the families of graved families to sue government for gross negligence????
shame on governments
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Sanghamitra,
Shame on the people who die like dogs without even putting up a fight.
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Karnataka has the worst highways among southern states. Some of the worst stretches on NH4 are in Karnataka and the roads straighten out the moment you start heading towards Maharashtra. The road from Coorg to Kerala is another example of a horribly maintained road. Even our state highways are pathetic, compared to the state highways in Maharashtra, Gujarat or even Tamil Nadu. The politicians and the PWD officials deserve a lashing
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It is high time our so called politicians who belong to all party stop critizing the ruling govt in of such tragedy let them spend their valuble time energy in serving people who have elected them because one day their own wife children or their relative travelling in such bad roads in karnataka will get into same fate like this.It is better they all wake up and do good service to society serve the nation .
Give good eucation to all children, teach moral values of life,they are our future vision for modren india save natural enegy sources,
Let a new india emerge with a new vissionary groomed children , whoch will be free from all these problems to achive a welfare state ,teach equality to all ,stop criticizing each other, start acting on results
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@AG,
amen to that.
what about personal risk management?
For people calling this as State gov’t thingy, why wasn’t one of the countless rozgar yojanas used by the village to build a guard rail along the lake?
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i do agree with you regading the condition of the roads & the irresponsiblity of the concerned administration but the number of travellers in the tempo.
wasn’t that one of the cause —–? these tempos will be in a very bad condition. I had a chance of travelling in these tempos last two years as i travelled to sargur from mysore. it is a horrible experience.
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karihaida:
But then, when a road is built by a certain authority, doesn’t final responsibility rest with that authority? NHAI ought to place reflectors, barricades, proper signage, lane markings, and so on across all the roads that it builds – the road is not complete just by laying a layer of tarmac.
But to be fair to them, NHAI has done a better job than most other agencies in the country. For the most part, the road surface, lane markings and signboards, etc. are very well maintained on most of their roads.
But here’s the point – I drove from Bangalore to Chennai and back around 10 days back via NH7-NH46. The roads have gaps in the median every 1.5 km or less. Fair enough, the road is not meant to be expressway standard, and the road is awesome in every other way – road surface, signage, markings and so on, and we motorists need to factor in the gaps in median and drive accordingly. BUT, notwithstanding all these frequent gaps, villagers throughout the stretch were driving on the wrong side of the road – just to save 2-3 minutes. I encountered one moron who was actually driving on the wrong side in the right (fast) lane, on a curve!
If frequent gaps in median had not been provided, if the villagers’ needs were not factored in, it would have been “the government’s fault”, NHAI’s fault. But what the fuck can we do when people insist on doing such things to save a couple of minutes, knowing fully well that this could cause their death?!
These villagers who protest, burn buses and block the highway when an incident like this occurs – what about their own callousness and short sightedness? And on every thread like this, I see the usual typical Indian middle class rhetoric about ‘politicians eating money’, ‘God save Karnataka’, ‘shame on politicians’, and so on. All fine and dandy, but what about the fuckin’ people – aren’t the people of India the cause for most of the problems?
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I studied in one of the College in Coimbatore and with my native place being Mysuru, used to travel once in a month b/n Mysuru and Coimbatore. U could easily differentiate the roads b/n Karnataka and TN. While we were sleeping(as I used to catch the last bus at 11:30 PM from CBE), as soon as we enter KN state everyone/thing in the bus starts shaking with the intensity of vibration going high and high. If you are in the last 2 to 3 rows, u r almost dead.
As soon as u enter TN border, it’s a different world altogether….all of a sudden everything is calm and quiet and the ONLY time u wake up is when u reach CBE. Such was/is the difference of the roads.
Not that the “Money-eating” thing doesn’t happen in TN but at-least the basic amenities are good.
I second AG….
Would love to See the Politicians/Sarkaar Babu’s family burnt like the one above in similar such accidents (Sounds odd is it!??)
In the current political scenario, best thing we could do is to invite the Infrastructure minister/CM to such danger areas in the name of some B*** S*** Sanmana. Since these Baabu would come there, our PWD will set the things over night….which they couldn’t do for generations together…..
ಇಂದಿನ ಸ್ತಿತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಜನರು ಮೇಲೆಳದಿದ್ದರೆ ಈ-ತರ ದುರ್ಘಟನೆಗಳು ಮತ್ತೆ ಮತ್ತೆ ಮರುಕಳಿಸುವದರಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂಶಯವಿಲ್ಲ
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@ Mysore Huduga
Even I did my PG in coimbatore, used to travel a lot on this road, Whenever I used to travel in night, couldn’t sleep till we enter TN border as roads were pathetic.
-P
Look at TN, everytime they change the ruling party, people know how to get their things from politicians, thats why even the cost of living in TN is much cheaper than Karnataka. I have travelled extensively in TN, they have the best Highway infrastructure in entire south India, clean wide roads with flyover/underpass at every major/minor junction to allow smooth flow of traffic.
Someone will have to take a decision to fight out in courts and demand for accountability from politicians. Until we do it they will not learn to deliver to voters. No more crocodile tears and false promises..
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