Scores of miners killed in Dhanbad coal mine

Damning indictment of the capitalist system

At least sixty miners were killed in a methane blast in a coal mine near Dhanbad, Bihar. This incident brings home once again the utter lack of safety in Indian coal mines. The attitude of the authorities, who insisted that they cannot be blamed for running mines known to be unsafe, is a telling indictment of the man – eating nature of the cynical capitalist system, at whose altar human life is sacrificed relentlessly in this day and age. People's Voice conveys its heartfelt grief to the families of those sacrificed in this incident.

It was revealed in the wake of the accident that only one of the forty – one coal mines being operated in the area was operating safely as per modern standards! Over half the coal mines in India are known to be unsafe! Yet workers are forced to go deep in them day in and day out, not knowing if they would ever see the light of day again, just so that they may be able to keep body and soul together. Just a couple of days after the blast which killed so many workers, the chairman of Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL), has gone on record stating that the company cannot be blamed for running unsafe mines, as it was the workers unions who had blocked attempts to shut down unsafe mines for fear of losing their jobs!

The statement of the chairman of BCCL reveals the cycnicism of the management of the coal mines. Workers are to be blamed for their own deaths — while the management, responsible for providing safe working conditions for the miners, appears lily white! Coal mining is extremely dangerous work, deep under the bowels of the earth, with threats of cave-ins, water flooding, as well as explosions, and there is enough study in India and world wide as to what constitute safe working conditions and how to ensure the same for the miners. However, what is hidden is that the capitalists, whether private capitalists or state monopoly capitalists, are interested in maximising the profits by making workers work in extremely unsafe conditions. Now, with the drive of the Indian big bourgeoisie to become a world class imperialist power, the pressure on the workers is increasing as the bourgeoisie is intensifying the degree of exploitation of the workers under threat that they will lose their jobs. This is the reason for the increasing number of big literally man made "accidents" in coal mines. This is what is going on in China, Russia and other capitalist countries as well.

It is high time the trade unions raised the banner of revolt against the extremely unsafe working conditions in India's coal mines. They must refuse to accept the logic of the bourgeoisie that either accept closure of mines because they are unsafe, or work under such terrible conditions. India has one of the largest reserves of coal in the world, and India needs energy desperately. It is possible to organise mining in such a way that not only workers jobs are secure, their lives are also safe. And all those responsible, through commission or ommission, for the tragedy in Dhanbad must be severely punished.