Have Your Say: Are Indian Lives Being Treated As Cattle By An Unresponsive System?

New Delhi: In the past few weeks, four disturbing incidents from different parts of the country have raised one uncomfortable question, are Indian lives being treated as expendable? From a sterilisation camp in Madhya Pradesh to civic tragedies in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, the pattern appears chillingly similar: negligence, lack of safeguards, and action only after a life is lost.

This is not about politics. This is about people. Ordinary Indians.

175 Sterilisations In Hours: Women Left On The Ground In Madhya Pradesh

In Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar region, a sterilisation camp at the Bagh Community Health Centre has triggered serious outrage. Over 170 tribal women arrived at the camp along with their children and relatives on Friday. The hospital reportedly has a bed capacity of just 30. Yet, in a matter of hours, 175 sterilisations were carried out.

It has been alleged that a single private doctor, Rakesh Dawar, reached the centre at around 3 pm and was assigned nearly 170 operations. One sterilisation was reportedly completed in just two to five minutes.

Visuals from the site are disturbing. Women were seen lying on the ground in the open, close to a waste bin. There were no proper beds, no drinking water arrangements, no tents to shield them from the sun, and no proper post-operative care space.

Officials later stated that regulations permit a maximum of 30 sterilisations per day. The centre’s BMO acknowledged that although no post-operative complications have been reported so far, such situations carry a risk of infection. He also said only those present at the time could explain why 175 procedures were performed in one day.

The questions remain, why were guidelines ignored? Why were women left in the open after surgery? Is speed more important than safety?

High Mast Pole Falls On Moving Car, SP Leader Dies In Pratapgarh

In Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh, a tragic accident claimed the life of 48-year-old Lal Bahadur Yadav, a local Samajwadi Party leader. He was driving from Babuganj towards Pratapgarh city, just 500 metres from his home, when a nearly 65-foot-high high mast light pole being installed near a petrol pump collapsed onto his moving car.

The structure, reportedly weighing around 40 quintals, was being erected with the help of a crane. During installation, the crane’s strap suddenly snapped. The heavy pole fell directly onto Yadav’s vehicle. He died on the spot. The incident took place in a busy market area and was captured on CCTV.

A routine installation. A snapped strap. A life lost within seconds. Was adequate safety ensured during the installation? Were precautions taken in a crowded market area? These questions demand answers.

Open Pit In Delhi’s Janakpuri Claims Young Life

In Delhi’s Janakpuri area, 25-year-old Kamal lost his life after falling into an open pit along with his motorcycle late at night. He was returning home from his office, the HDFC Bank call centre in Rohini Sector 10.

The pit reportedly falls under the Delhi Jal Board’s jurisdiction. An FIR has been registered under Section 105 (culpable homicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Janakpuri Police Station against the contractor and concerned officials of the Delhi Jal Board.

Delhi Jal Board CEO Kushal Raj Sharma stated that corrective measures are being taken and strict legal action will be initiated against anyone found responsible. A committee has been formed to investigate the matter. Three engineers have already been suspended for alleged negligence. A separate investigation has also been launched into the construction company involved, as rehabilitation work on old sewer lines had been ongoing for the past three months.

According to the CEO, iron barricades covered with green mesh had been deployed at the service lane where construction was underway.

But Kamal is no more.

If barricades were there, how did a young man fall into an open pit? Was it properly secured? Was visibility adequate at night? His family deserves clear answers.

Four-Hour Rescue Fails: Techie Drowns In Flooded Basement In Greater Noida

In Greater Noida’s Sector-150, 27-year-old software engineer Yuvraj Mehta lost his life after his speeding car crashed into a flooded basement approximately 30 feet deep.

Yuvraj, who lived at Tata Eureka Park Society and worked at Dunnhumby India in Gurugram, had been driving back from office when dense fog reportedly caused him to lose control of his Grand Vitara. The vehicle breached a wall and became submerged in the water-filled basement.

Despite the terrifying situation, Yuvraj managed to exit the car and call his father, Rajkumar Mehta. His father alerted emergency services and rushed to the scene.

Police, fire teams, SDRF, and later NDRF were involved in a rescue operation that lasted nearly four and a half hours. In the early moments, Yuvraj was seen standing on the roof of his car, flashing his phone’s light and shouting for help.

However, darkness, thick fog, freezing water, and submerged construction pillars made the rescue extremely difficult. By 1:45 am, both Yuvraj and the vehicle disappeared beneath the surface.

He was eventually retrieved and rushed to Kailash Hospital but was declared dead.

His father has alleged negligence by the Noida Authority, stating there were no barricades, reflectors, or warning signage near the water-filled basement. An FIR has been registered at Knowledge Park police station against two real estate firms, MJ Wishtown Planner Limited and Lotus Green Construction Private Limited.

A young man stood on his car roof for hours, waiting to be saved. His father and police heard his cries. Yet he could not be brought back alive.

Are Common Indian Lives Being Taken For Granted?

Four incidents. Different states. Different circumstances. But a similar pattern, overcrowded medical camps, unsafe installations, open pits, missing barricades, delayed safeguards.

In each case, action followed tragedy. Suspensions. FIRs. Committees. Investigations. But why does accountability come only after death?

Are safety rules being treated as mere paperwork? Are guidelines being ignored until something goes horribly wrong? Are common Indian lives being treated as cattle by an unresponsive system that wakes up only after outrage?

This is not about blame. It is about responsibility. We want to hear from you. Do you believe government systems are failing ordinary citizens? Are authorities doing enough to ensure public safety? Or is negligence becoming the norm?

Write to us. Share your views with us on our Twitter handle @republic.

We respect people’s voices and want them to be heard across the nation. The nation must know that common Indian lives cannot be neglected or taken for granted.

ALSO READ: ‘2 Minutes Per Surgery’: Over 175 Women Sterilised at Breakneck Speed in Govt Camp in MP’s Dhar