38 years to find a couple of insects in turmeric.

Two days back there was an enormous explosion at Beirut port in Lebanon when 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse exploded, killing 150 people, injuring at least 5,000 others and creating a crater around 140 meters wide. "The countdown to catastrophe in Beirut started more than six years ago when a troubled, Russian-leased cargo ship made an unscheduled stop at the city's port," wrote Declan Walsh and Andrew Higgins. It stopped at Beirut port to pick up some heavy machinery, to earn some extra money, but the machinery would not fit in the ship. "Then Lebanese officials found the ship unseaworthy and impounded the vessel for failing to pay the port docking fees and other charges. The cargo of ammonium nitrate was transferred to a warehouse and the ship sank. "Newly released documents suggest multiple government agencies were informed about ammonium nitrate being housed at a warehouse in Beirut port, including the Ministry of Justice." Customs officials informed a judge multiple times but each time the judge said the matter was not in their jurisdiction. All this sounds familiar to us in India. "At least 19 persons, including the pilot and co-pilot, were killed after a Dubai-Calicut Air India Express aircraft carrying 190 passengers and crew skidded off the runway at Kerala's Kozhikode and fell into a 35-foot valley before splitting into two pieces late Friday evening." Many were injured. Yet, in December 2018, "A Southwest Airlines Co jet rolled off the end of a California runway as it landed in the rain, skidding to a stop on crushable concrete surface designed to hinder out-of-control aircraft." No rocket science. The Americans have constructed Engineered Materials Arrestor Systems (EMAS) at the end of runways to stop aircraft skidding off. Our lot clearly can't be bothered. As for delays in justice system, "Last week. Supreme Court justices Ramana, Kant and Murari finally gave Prem Chand long-due relief, acquitting the shopkeeper from Haryana, 38 years after he was accused of a crime," wrote Shruti Rajagopalan. What was his heinous crime? A food inspector apparently found some insects in turmeric he was selling at his shop. While the shopkeeper had to undergo 38 years of harassment for a couple of insects, Ansal brothers were freed because they were too old 25 years after 59 people died in a fire at a cinema hall owned by them because locked exit doors prevented escape. Sanjeev Nanda walked free after just two years, after crushing 6 people, including 3 policemen, to death with his BMW car and then compounding his crime by running away from the scene of the crime and trying to destroy evidence by washing the car. Ramalinga Raju is mentoring his sons and running family businesses more than ten years after confessing to defrauding his company Satyam Computer Services Ltd of hundreds of billions of rupees. The Lebanese are protesting against the government for the blast, for economic ruin and collapse of the currency. Indians don't protest. It's of no use.