2012-12-13 : Hamara Manch Update on Ram Sharan’s Death

(Related Pages: Death of Shri Ram Saran Rai. )

Dear friends,

This is an update on the case of late Ram Sharan who died on 21st November at work due to a fall from an under construction building. As you may recall from our earlier posts the Ram Sharan’s wife Suntaliya and her two children (aged approx 2 and 4) came to Kanpur from Bihar on 25th November to collect her compensation, but was sent back because she did not have adequate identification papers. Apparently the contractor’s officials told them that the cheque is already made out and the family just had to get the proper id documents and it would be handed over to them. We also mentioned that Suntaliya (who is pregnant) and her children did not have any clothes (let alone warm clothes), do not speak the language too well and have never ever stepped out of their village before. We thought it to be patently unfair for a recently widowed lady to be shunted hundreds of miles to get her legal compensation. Anyway Suntaliya along with her children left for her village to get the documents on 28th November. 

Suntaliya and her children have come back to Kanpur with the requisite documents on Monday (10th December). Yesterday her cousin brother Virendra Bhuiyan, who has accompanied her, came to Hamara Manch to apprise us of the current status. He told us that they have now got all the documents including voters’ id card, ration card, affidavits from the Sarpnach, and other village officials, all testifying that Suntaliya was late Ram Sharan’s wife. Apparently the documents have been handed over to the contractor’s men – but he does not know for sure as the contractor would only deal with the petty contractor’s men and not talk directly to the family. (As you may recall  construction work done through migrant labour has several tiers of contractors). The family has been told that though the documents are proper this time it would take several days to process the compensation – they would not even tell the exact date. Virendra had several questions which he has no idea whom to address to since no one from the Institute or the main contractor (M/s Ramki) has met the family yet. We too do not know whom to direct him to hence we are putting this to the community. His questions are:

1. Why is there a delay when we were assured that the compensation cheque would be handed over to us immediately?

2. Since we thought we could come back almost the same day we have not carried any warm clothes, have no bedding and given the weather how are we supposed to manage?

3. How are we to approach any official if we are stopped at the Institute gate every time we try to enter? And since  no one even bothered to contact us we are stuck outside not knowing when and how  will we get our dues?

4. Even if the processing of compensation takes a while (and we are ready to wait since it is impossible for us to come so frequently) how are we to survive without any money? 

We at HM would like to repeat the questions we put at the end of our last update:

The Late Ram Sharan was working for the Institute when he died under such tragic circumstances. Isn’t it the Institute’s responsibility to treat the family with some minimum dignity and take care of their stay till their compensation is sorted out. This is probably the minimum the Institute can do to make up for the irreparable loss, which was probably due to the negligence in safety measures. 

• Then why is it that no one has bothered to meet and reassure the family?

• Why is the family constituting of a recently widowed person and fatherless children left to fend for themselves (with neither proper clothes, nor food, nor a place to stay) in an alien place where they have no social support?