Prof. Bhaskar analyses the tragic Kolkata warehouse collapse and the systemic failures of the state that affect vulnerable labourers on DifferentTruths.com.
AI Summary
- Systemic Negligence: Prof. Bhaskar highlights how the Kolkata building collapse exposes critical failures in safety oversight and municipal planning.
- State Responsibility: The commentary demands urgent state-funded medical support, fair compensation for affected families, and accountability for sanctioned construction.
- Labour Vulnerability: It underscores the precarious security of unorganised workers, often ignored by elites and bypassed by political accountability.
An empty stomach can also face the danger of imminent death. This daring attitude of the labour-dependent person gets reinforced when the children in the family go hungry.
The daughter of such a worker-person asked her mother where her father was on June 25, 2026, in the suburban area of Kolkata. Still, she got no response because her father, a worker, died under the concrete of a newly built building meant to be a warehouse in the Taratala area of south Kolkata in West Bengal.
The coincidence is that it was the same date when the Internal Emergency was declared in India to put many dissidents in prison, and now the dead workers are being sent to the burning ghat. A few are being sent to SSKM Hospital, as reported uninterruptedly through electronic media. So far, it is not known how many workers are still alive and have been rescued by disaster management workers. There was a crowd at the rescue site, but the public response was poor, perhaps because of other binding responsibilities and priorities for the common people.
It seems risky to talk about labour, whether alive or dead, because of the risk of being branded a communist. The elite do not care, and the middle section plays it safe. As already reported, the labour contractor (Thekedar) and labour supervisor have been arrested. I’m surprised by this arrest; the real culprits are the Calcutta Corporation employees and departments that approved the building plan and soil conditions. It was under construction in June 2026, and the plan was sanctioned in January 2026, as reported. So, it is sandwiched between two governments—the former Trinamool and now the BJP. But a political party may probably be given the benefit of the doubt.
The current government must ensure both the rescue and humane treatment of surviving workers and provide monetary compensation to the affected families. In parallel, the responsibility is to identify the culprits within the Calcutta Corporation and imprison them after a proper inquiry.
What the workers, at a minimum, may expect is state support for their security, which seems absent in the unorganised segment of the economy, where they are occasionally engaged in wage work.
I believe the state knows it.
Picture design by Anumita Roy
Prof Bhaskar Majumder superannuated as an Economics professor from GB Pant Social Science Institute, Allahabad. He served as a visiting professor at Central University of Bihar (Patna), Sri Sri University (Cuttack), Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Science College (Calcutta University), and others. He published extensively in 26 reputed journals, authored 11 books, co-edited two, and contributed 38 chapters. He completed 26 research projects funded by the Planning Commission, GoI ministries, ICSSR, the World Bank, NTPC, and Tata Chemicals. An international academic, journal reviewer, and PhD supervisor, he holds degrees from the University of Calcutta. He is our National Editor: Economics and Social Science.
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