Grave danger-The Telegraph daily

The Sainthia train accident that claimed so many lives is tragic, to say the least. It has left in its wake some serious questions for the railway authorities to ponder. The accident could not have been caused by a signal malfunction, for the driver and the guard of the Uttar Banga Express knew full well that the train was scheduled to make a stop at Sainthia — something that did not happen. If indeed the signal had been missed, why did the guard not apply the emergency vacuum brake? In the light of these facts, the possibility of sabotage cannot be ruled out.

The Government Railway Police and the Railway Protection Force have allegedly made it a practice to detain night trains. This is no different from what the Maoists do. By correlating various sabotage attempts across the country, one can see that all is not well with the Indian Railways. Our railways minister and the intelligence department cannot evade responsibility for the catastrophe.


K.A. Solaman, Alappuzha, The Telegraph, Kolkata 26 July 2010