Atleast one sensible article from TOI.
Good job Mr V Raghunathan.

It is not a case of rich and poor.
It is sheer negligence and corruption, because in our system of governance , no govt official is answerable/ accountable for such misdeeds. If this is treated as a crime, " CAUSING DEATH DUE TO NEGLIGENCE BY THE OPERATERS, and the officials are booked under this offence, there can be some improvement.
As i have writing through these columns that, Basic teachings are missing now a days."
Rest later

its not about just politicians. Its also about general public and columnists who just keep blaming others politicians etc.. In a civic society majority of the members have to be active for it to function properly. They should Seek and demand the changes they want. If they don't demand the changes won't happen.. Mahatma Gandhi said 'Be the change you want'..
So if you want the footpath go, form a neighbourhood organization, make petitions, use RTI and you will see the change will happen..

If you are outraged enough, you will take action and quit blaming others.

A very genuine concern and most sought for blog by V Raghunathan. This must come up as an eye opener for those responsible for their licadecial attitude towards the problem which has already victimised several children in rural or sub-urban areas. Had such incidents unfortunately taken place in the heart of metros, the situation would have different. Leave all aside, the authorities should initiate stringent measures for combating the mishaps or stricter punishment for responsible personnel.

So True.... So so true...
But sunta kaun hai :(

Politicians talk about inclusiveness, but where is it when these things are decided upon. Wish we had a KRO for politicians and re-election dependent upon its achievement.

I entirely agree with you sir. India does needs a far more sensitive and caring political and administrative system populated by equally sensitive and caring people! I can only pray that it does not remain a distant dream!!

APATHY AND APATHY TO CITIZENS...THE CIVIL SERVANTS ARE ARROGANT OVERTLY AND THE POLITICIANS ARE POLITELY ARROGANT..NOT A HEALTHY TREND EVEN FOR THE LONG TERM SUSTENANCE OF POLITICAL AND THE RELATED ADMIN SYSTEMS

hats off to the writer...the article clearly depicts the current scenario of our political system which takes least care of the people in our small cities except during the time of election.

Well written.True, I agree with you fully Raghu.You should add the manholes in the cities and small towns as well with the borewells.As year after year we hear about children and adults falling prey to the open manholes during rains and at nights.No one seems to lend an ear to such cases.

Well written Raghu Mama. This is a very apt topic in todays senario.Congratulations once again.

Trenchant and forthright as always, you have exposed the short lived election euphoria of our administrators.I completely agree that such callous attitude is only towards the less empowered, and that such insensivity is despicable!
Hopefully, candid articles, such as this one, may usher a much need change.

Nilofer Suleman

Things can be changed a simple chages in the local civic rules and regulation. A person who have the signing authority and issues a permit to dig these holes should be made responsible to ensure that these holes are capped after. Now onus will fall on that person, not on anyone else. If the accident happen then make sure that person answers the court and parents.

Sir in cities we have open man holes, open gutter, open septic tanks, open construction sites etc where the childrens die each year.

So either villages or cities it the same as the human tendency will not change in carelessness.

How does one get media attention to this issue, such as in the Rathore Ruchira case? Perhaps the larger media will pick up and pursue till action only when it is personalised - a name of a specific person in the administration, and the name of a specific child, and then perhaps it can become a STORY that media may pursue? Seems like the only way things get done here is if negative attention is brought to it over a sustained period of time by all big media.

Agree.We need responsible politicians and hence the need to also relook at the criteria of nominations,qualifications and credibility of leaders.We also need more responsible behaviours from al of us as citizens,I am not sure how many educated people go and cast votes.We need to build a responsible nation and a social security structure which provides at least the very basic facilities for all the taxes that we pay year on year.We should start with developing rural India first.

Wonderful post... Thanks for your good work!