The Cost of Collusion

They say lightning doesn’t strike twice, but when it comes to systemic failure, it seems to strike with alarming frequency. This past week has been a grim testament to a crumbling infrastructure of accountability, marked by “too many coincidences” that look less like accidents and more like the inevitable results of negligence.

From the horrific charred remains of a Goa club, where 25 lives were extinguished in moments, to the skies where the Indigo fiasco exposed a blatant disregard for safety norms, the narrative is chillingly consistent. These are not isolated tragedies; they are symptoms of a deeper rot.

The tragedy in Goa is a stark reminder of how cheap human life has become in the face of profit. A fire in a recreational club shouldn’t turn into a death trap unless exits are blocked, alarms are silent, and regulations are treated as mere suggestions. Similarly, the aviation sector, once the pinnacle of disciplined safety, is showing cracks. When an airline flouts safety norms, it isn’t just a “fiasco”—it is a gamble with hundreds of lives at a height of 35,000 feet. Is it not an illusion of safety?

What binds these two disparate events? The answer, as you rightly pointed out, is the “hand-in-glove” relationship between the administration and the owners. In both scenarios, the safeguards meant to protect the public failed—not because they didn’t exist, but because they were likely bypassed with a handshake and a blind eye. It to me is an unholy nexus.

When authorities—whose sole mandate is to enforce the law—become facilitators for the powerful, the safety net of society dissolves. The owners cut corners to maximize revenue, and the administration provides the cover, leaving the innocent patron and the trusting passenger exposed to mortal danger.

Perhaps the most infuriating aspect of this week’s events is the aftermath. Instead of swift justice, we often see a deflection of blame. The public, already grieving or traumatized, is subjected to harassment. Questions are met with silence, and demands for accountability are buried under bureaucratic red tape. It highlights a painful truth: in a system rigged by high connections, the common man is not just a victim of the tragedy, but a victim of the subsequent cover-up. It is what is truly harassment of the common man.

Isn’t it a wake-up call? How many more “coincidences” can we afford? The loss of 25 lives in Goa and the safety violations in our skies must serve as more than just headlines. They must be the catalyst for dismantling the nexus of corruption that prioritizes influence over safety. Until the administration is held as accountable as the owners, we remain citizens of a society where safety is a luxury, and justice is an exception.

Prof Upendra Kaul, Founder Director Gauri Kaul Foundation