In the aftermath of the recent unfortunate incident of serial bomb blasts in Mumbai suburban trains, Railway Board had issued a fundamentally humanitarian letter stating that the next of the kin of the deceased would be offered a job with the Railways. Ofcourse this caring step would not be able to numb the pain of loss, it was certainly meant to be the much needed balm to the grieving relatives.

 

However trust the pen-pushing bureaucrats to take the balm out of the letter!

One incident of Mumbai has been coming to newspapers almost regularly highlighting the capacity (or the lack of it) of our bureaucrats to interpret the rules. There is a case of one lady Miss Sawant, 25 years, now mother of a one month old baby. Her husband is one of the blast victims. Unfortunately for her,he has not died! Yes, you read me right. And she is wishing he were dead. Because her husband is in a vegetative state, in coma after he got injured in those terrorist attacks and unlikely to recover. But due to the fact that the rules say that only next of the kin of deceased would be offered employment so she finds herself in most unenviable situation. Her husband is not yet dead. Yet he is not alive! So it comes as a double whammy for the lady as she has no breadwinner, medical bills are mounting and neither is she getting a job.

 

Agreed that the letter talks about the job to the next of kin of 'deceased'. But is it not the time for expanded and liberal interpretation of rules rather than dictionary oriented interpretation of the rules? Has not our Supreme Court gone into various debates held in the Constituent Assembly to understand the minds of the framers of the Constitution and decided about the spirit of the rule being more important than the letter of the rule?As per the letter of the rule, Railway might be right in denying her a job.But as per the spirit of the rule, she should be offered a job.Or atleast her genuine claim should be forwarded by Western Railawy to Railway Board for consideration and disposal, either way.

Or else the new born baby would keep wishing her dad were dead!

 

Bureaucracy, how much more do you think you will take more before you can show traces of sensitivity? How many comatosed daddys will make you come out of your own coma?And how many more deaths before you come alive yourself?

 

Mr.Mulliner