KOCHI: The pathetic condition of the residents of Kochi’s Kammattipadam colony, highlighted in a New Indian Express report on Wednesday, has created a furore in the public sphere. The Kerala State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC) on Friday registered a case and ordered an inquiry into the reported incident in which the cortege of a man was taken through railway tracks surrounding the colony. He had died for lack of timely medical care.
KSHRC acting chairperson P Mohana Das directed the state Chief Secretary, Social Justice Department secretary, railway engineer concerned and Southern Railway Kerala general manager to look into the allegations and implement remedial measures, including rehabilitating colony residents to a new area. They have also been directed to file a report during the next camp sitting of the Commission in Ernakulam on November 24.
According to the order issued by the KSHRC, the woes of the around 50 families living in Kammattipadam, situated in the heart of a metro city, is revealed through the Express report. It shows how 56-year-old K L Babu who suffered a heart attack, lost his life solely for not having access to a hospital, though he was living in the heart of the city.
Kammattipadam is almost literally cut off by the railway line. The people there can get access to the city only by walking across the rail line. If trains come to a halt here due to a signal problem, people have to wait for an uncertain period till the signal turns green for the train so they can get across the tracks.
It was in such a situation that taking Babu to the hospital was delayed, resulting in fatal consequences.
The order said the government and railway authorities should wake up from their slumber to take immediate steps to alleviate the grievances of people in Kammattipadam.
“Right to life is one of the fundamental rights guaranteed in the Constitution. It is the duty of the government to find out all possible ways to discharge its duty in protecting the life and liberty of people, especially those in this remote area within the metro city. At least, the people here can be rehabilitated to some other place where they may have access to the outside world,” the order said.
“Unless the government and railway take some speedy measures, the people here will be deemed to be subjected to inhuman treatment which is nothing but a blatant violation of human rights,” it said.
Meanwhile, based on the Express report, Hibi Eden MLA also requested the Ernakulam railway area manager to take steps to alleviate the woes of people living in Kammattipadam.
He said he would provide from his MLA fund to construct an underpass in the busy stretch if the railway grants the necessary sanction to the project.