Mumbai Fire Caused Due to Security Violations, Say Trade Unionists

A fire broke out at the Kamla Trade House, south of Mumbai, today (29th December) killing 14 people, 11 out of which were women. The fire reportedly started around 12:30 am, from a roof top restaurant The Mojo in the Kamla Trade House.

The fire spread to more surrounding bars and restaurants in the Tower. More than 12 fire execution tenders were brought in and the fire could be controlled around 6:30 in the morning.

Ashok Dhawle, former CPI(M) State Secretary, Maharashtra said that the unfortunate incident has shaken the whole of Mumbai. He said that the reasons for the fire are extremely disturbing. “The Kamla Mills and the Centre Bombay Area was once a textile heartland of the country with all the textile mills situated there. Those mills have been shut down by the consecutive governments in past 20 years which rendered lacks of workers jobless. Huge buildings and malls have replaced them, owned by big corporates. The BJP government (and even the earlier congress government) along with the Municipal corporation (controlled by the Shiv Sena), allowed uncontrolled privatisation which has led to this expansion without any planning. Safety norms and all other norms have been actively compromised with due to the craze for profit.”

“The corruption is tremendous, and all kinds of permissions have been given for a price. The entire administration -state govt, the municipal corporation officials and the police- have been hand in glove and have giving such permissions. The CM has ordered an enquiry, but it will just have a cosmetic effect. A thorough clean-up of this unholy nexus is required.”, Dhawle added

Vivek Monteiro, Joint Secretary of the CITU, said that “a similar fire broke out on 18th December, at the Sakinaka shop, killing around 12 workers. The current fire has taken place at the site of a former textile mill. A number of high-rise commercial complexes have replaced the mills over the years. Indiscriminate construct and a gross violation and neglect of all safety requirement has led to these incidents. In the first case it was unorganised workers who were killed and this time this is another section of the working people who have died.”

“This is not the first such incident and it won’t be the last. It shows a total neglect by the state govt and the municipality”, Monteiro added.

On the other hand, Hema Malini, a well-known actress who is also a BJP MP, blamed the huge population of Mumbai for the fire. One is reminded of The Solution by Bertolt Brecht:

‘Would it not be easier

In that case for the government

To dissolve the people

And elect another?’