Closing the wound

A year has passed since the tragedy at Tempe which scarred our collective soul. Like others investigative initiatives before it, the parliamentary committee assembled to probe the deadly train crash expended itself on public relations stunts; its hollow proceedings were an insult to the families of the victims and to the public as a whole, who demand answers.

The judicial investigation, in contrast, appears to be moving at a steady and methodical pace. It is essential that we have answers and catharsis. The trial needs to take place without delay, so that the corrosive sense of impunity does not prevail again. It is equally important that the country's railway network is cured of its shortcomings.

The state needs to actively demonstrate that it is learning from its failures.