The shocking incident of an unidentified man entering the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express train and spraying inflammable liquid on passengers, leaving three, who tried to escape the fire by jumping off the train, dead, highlights the need for a better security system in our passenger trains.
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), in coordination with central intelligence agencies and the Kerala police, detained a man in connection with the case from Ratnagiri late Tuesday, within two days of the incident. The NIA has also joined the probe, but the motive is yet unknown.
Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan were quick to congratulate the investigating agencies, including the RPF, NIA, and the Kerala police, for apprehending the person swiftly. While they should be commended for the speed with which they nabbed the suspect, the incident again exposed the lax rail security.
One can easily assume that the authorities have not taken seriously the 2006 Mumbai train bombings that killed 209 people and injured more than 700 people. There have been several security lapses on passenger trains in Kerala, and women were the victims in most cases.
In February 2011, Soumya, a 23-year-old woman, was raped and murdered on a passenger train from Ernakulam to Shornur. A woman teacher had died after jumping from a Nagercoil-Kottayam passenger train after a suspicious-looking man entered the ladies’ coach last June.
Rail passenger associations have been complaining about the indifferent attitude of the Railways in upgrading the security systems inside trains and at stations for quite some time. Most CCTV cameras at stations do not function, and there is a need to install scanners at the stations. It is not that the government did not devise plans to ensure security in railway stations.
As per a plan announced in 2019, the security systems at our railway stations were to be upgraded on par with the airports. Initially, about 200 stations were to implement this plan, including closing entry points about 15–20 minutes before the train departure.
But there has yet to be a forward movement after the announcement. Now that another unfortunate incident has happened inside a train, the Railways should increase the security of the trains and stations without wasting time. The passengers’ protection and safety are certainly the Railways’ responsibility and must be its topmost priority. Everything else is secondary.