We are living in a time when mishaps, murders, and protests cause more controversies than concern. The conflict in Manipur and the train accident in Odisha are examples.

First, let’s discuss the train accident. Why did this awful accident occur? How did it take place? Was there a large conspiracy at work? Although the CBI has begun its probe, every deadly accident requires extensive relief efforts prior to investigation. The government is leaving no stone unturned, but what are the parties in the Opposition doing? They are politicising it the old-fashioned way. They are criticising from the comfort of their armchairs waiting for the next problem. They could have sent volunteers and aid from states where they are in power, but they chose to only speak.

We are living in a time when mishaps, murders, and protests cause more controversies than concern. The conflict in Manipur and the train accident in Odisha are examples.

First, let’s discuss the train accident. Why did this awful accident occur? How did it take place? Was there a large conspiracy at work? Although the CBI has begun its probe, every deadly accident requires extensive relief efforts prior to investigation. The government is leaving no stone unturned, but what are the parties in the Opposition doing? They are politicising it the old-fashioned way. They are criticising from the comfort of their armchairs waiting for the next problem. They could have sent volunteers and aid from states where they are in power, but they chose to only speak.

Such situations are not new. An illustration of this was the 2013 Kedarnath disaster. When nature’s wrath erupted in Kedarnath, the Congress was in power at the Centre. It, too, was similarly targeted. Our politicians believe in opposing simply for the sake of opposing.

Another example of this is the controversy that followed the collapse of the bridge in Bhagalpur, Bihar, which had been constructed at a cost of ₹1,700 crore. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was then a coalition partner. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and other Opposition parties at the time sharply condemned the government. Power equations in Bihar had taken a U-turn by the time a major portion of the bridge collapsed once more last week. The BJP is no longer in power in Bihar; RJD is. You can now compare the recent and previous statements made by BJP and RJD leaders. Whatever the BJP leaders are saying right now, the RJD leaders already articulated yesterday.

Does it impact the average person?

Let us recall last October. Gujarat’s assembly election campaign was at its height. In the meantime, a bridge in Morbi over the Machchu River collapsed, killing roughly 135 people. The majority of the victims were from Morbi and its surroundings. There was an attempt by the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party to turn it into an election issue. The verbal attacks began, but how much of an impact did it have? The BJP’s Kantilal Shivlal Amritiya was declared the winner from Morbi after the election results were announced. This does not imply that the public is not sick of corruption. Since they find similar individuals in all parties, they do not associate voting with corruption.

There was a time when our politicians were sensitive to such tragedies. In 1982 or ’83 a high-tension electric cable fell on an Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation bus in rural Allahabad (now Prayagraj). Thirty passengers were killed. I witnessed the horrific scene myself. I was curious about the reactions of Mulayam Singh Yadav and Janeshwar Mishra after returning from the tragedy site. Both replied in almost the same manner, “Now is the hour of sadness, it is not right to say anything.”

This trend can also be witnessed in the case of Manipur. Violence erupted in the state following a court order. Clashes broke out between the Meitei, the majority community, and the Kuki, the minority tribe. So far, over 100 people have been killed and approximately 30,000 evacuated. The atrocity climaxed last week when an ambulance was set on fire. A Meitei woman married to a Kuki man, her sick child, and one of their female relatives died in the attack. Breaking down caste, religious, and tribal barriers was once seen as a key objective of progress in our society, and pledges were made for that. The recent violence has not only impeded the peace effort but also ceded the gains civil society and the administration had worked hard for decades to achieve. As a journalist, I spent several days in the remote parts of Manipur and Nagaland in the 1990s. There I understood what separatism was and how the Indian establishment has to stretch every nerve and sinew to maintain the country’s sovereignty.

Have you seen any senior Opposition leader make a comment on the Manipur violence to heal people’s wounds or call for peace? Our politicians use different phraseologies when they are in power and when they are in Opposition. Their attitude shifts depending on their place in the power equation. As we approach the 2024 general elections, there is growing likelihood of more hostility seeping into the political environment.

Can we ever hope for an equanimous policy and a judicious approach from our popular politicians?

Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan The views expressed are personal.