Death of Mr. Shafiq Ahmad

July 2009.

(A report circulated by concerned community members.)

    Another death in the campus – the FIFTH such occurrence (not including 20-year old Tinku who fell down from the under – construction Core Lab building, broke his back, and the last we know he had become a quadriplegic) in the last two years. The Institute authorities have not issued a formal communiqué yet. But the sketchy details which we have got from two official sources, the IWD and the Security Office, are as follows: 

    The death occurred on 26th July, 2009 (Sunday) between 9-10 pm in the night. The person, one Mr. Shafiq Ahmad, fell down from the under-construction IME (inside academic area, in front of Aero) building. Apparently he was not working on the site and had come prospecting for work on that day itself and was told to start work from the next day. He was asked to stay on the site itself and while he was going to sleep on the roof he fell down. He was found by the SIS guard on duty and was taken to the health centre (HC). He was declared dead and yet was referred to Hallett hospital, where he was declared brought dead. The body was then handed over for postmortem and a police FIR was also lodged. And on Monday it was arranged for the body to be sent back to his native place. He hailed from a village in Bihar. 

    Several issues of concern emerge from this official version. They are: 

• • What was a person not employed in the Institute in any capacity doing in the campus on a site under construction? According to point 12 of the Office Order issued by the Director on the 16th September, 2007: No worker, or the family members, shall be allowed to stay on the campus without proper authorization.  Contractors shall declare the names of such workers (and their family members, if any) who wishes to stay back at the work site on the request, and personal risk and liability of the contractor(s) shall have to obtain prior permission from the Institute through the administrative in-charge of the project/contract.

  • The second issue which emerges immediately from this official version is the completely arbitrary hiring (and firing) policy followed in the Institute by the contractors. There seems to be no procedure in place in spite of the detailed office order (referred above) on this issue. Any person, even a migrant labour, can walk into a site and seek employment and may be allowed to stay overnight on the site. It follows that the person can be fired too without any procedure, completely compromising all norms of the legal hiring and firing procedures. 

  • The third issue which emerges from the account is that of safety. There have been several deaths in the campus at work site due to lack of basic safety procedures and equipments and still work continues in all spheres without any concern for safety. We have seen that on all the construction sites in the campus at present (the IME building, Hall X, the construction in front of the swimming pool), work going on till late in the night, at least till 8 pm. The workers including women and underage children work without any helmets, gloves, or any other equipment, often at dangerous heights. This death may have occurred after work hours, but the practices indicate that accidents, including fatal accidents, are merely waiting to happen. After 16 Sep. office order, safety committee gave a detailed 50 page report in December 2007, but the administration seems to have not even read it, let alone implementing it. 

    We have some information from various unofficial, unconfirmed sources - SIS guards, workers at the site and health centre, other individuals who knew the worker personally, – the key thing which seems to be emerging is that most likely Shafiq has been working in the Institute for some time and had only taken a break for a few days for some reason, and had again joined (or was going to join the next day) back work. There seem to have been serious lapses elsewhere too, including at the health center  But the primary issue is how many more deaths will it take for the community to take notice? Or would another well worded office order on paper suffice on the eve of the grand Golden Jubilee celebrations? issued by the Director on the 16th September, 2007: No worker, or the family members, shall be allowed to stay on the campus without proper authorization. Contractors shall declare the names of such workers (and their family members, if any) who wishes to stay back at the work site on the request, and personal risk and liability of the contractor(s) shall have to obtain prior permission from the Institute through the administrative in-charge of the project/contract.