six drown in Falna

In India, there are so many instances of incidents that cause you to pause in incredulous shock, disbelief and anger. One such took place yesterday in the small town of Falna near Jodhpur. Five members of a family were trapped on a bridge across Khari river when the river overflowed. Within seconds, the bridge was submerged under three feet of water and the family climbed on top of their car in a vain attempt to keep themselves above the water line. As the water levels rose, the panicked family started calling for help. However – and this is what is most shocking – most of the people just stood around and gaped. More incredulously, among those looking was Rajasthan’s forest minister, Laxmi Narayan Dave. Two military officers tried to rescue the trapped people but the river current was so strong that one of the rescuers was himself drowned. I presume that the minister, in his exalted capacity had the political clout and the wherewithal to get in touch with someone from Jodhpur who could then have gotten the rescue machinery kicking and sent a helicopter to save these people. However, none of that happened. It took eight hours but the river finally took all five and their bodies were found in a decomposed state in some far-off village.
This makes me very angry and I am sure it does you too.
Laxmi Narayan Dave, I need scarcely remind you is the same minister who was arrested in 2004 for stopping a train and disrupting the railway schedule, presumably to suit his convenience.