Organizers of annual celebrations at Kollam temple in Kerala are squarely responsible for the horrendous tragedy that has befallen the innocent people of Kerala who had gathered at the temple function to be a witness to the proceedings. The organizers or the members of the Board are responsible for defying the orders of the Revenue authority and staging the dangerous firework which has consumed 106 precious lives and rendered 383 as injured some gravely. The lesson from this tragedy is that fireworks should be banned in the country and not only in the state because there is hardly any big firework when one or other tragedy does not take precious lives. This is a bad and a dangerous tradition and should be discarded immediately.
The redeeming factor is that the Government has move immediately and come to the relief and rescue of the affected people. Kerala Chief Minister has announced ex-gratia relief to the sufferers including next of kin. Prime Minister has visited the tragic site and called it a heart rending tragedy. The country mourns the death of so many innocent people. But the culprits have to be brought to the book so that such tragedies do not recur. The excuse offered by the Police Chief of Kerala that owing to huge crowds fire work could not be stopped for fear of violent reaction. He should have anticipated the dangers involved and taken precautionary measures. He too has to be made answerable. When the DC had rejected permission of firework to the temple authorities how come the police allowed it to happen? Actually an FIR should have been lodged against Kerala Police.
We appreciate the National Human Rights Commission which has taken suo moto decision of asking the Chief Secretary of Kerala to submit a report on the cause of fire and the loses suffered and fix responsibility as it is a matter of human loss.
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