Market fire fallout

Second, there are allegations that the process of listing the victims is being rigged by the market committee to give undue benefits to some favoured men. If true, this could mean that many genuine victims would be left out. This is a matter of life and death to the small traders who have virtually lost everything in the fire. So any deviation from a fair deal could deprive the traders of due compensation. The whole thing smacks of manipulation of the most ruthless kind.

Now, certain questions have arisen as the traders wait for some steps to rehabilitate them. The first thing that can be said about the tragedy is that there was an utter failure to protect the traders from such a disaster. And there is apparently nobody, or no organisation, to shoulder the responsibility for it all. The poor traders can only blame their rotten luck for what has happened to them. The agencies concerned have escaped by terming it an accident. But who doesn't know that the risk factors (of a blaze) were very much present at the market. The issue of safety was subjected to criminal neglect, to say the least.

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The tragedy has been multiplied by the fact that some foul game is being played with the fate of the victims. The authorities concerned should step in immediately to set things right. They have to see to it that the real victims are not victimised once more.