Even Money fails to salvage dignity
We love festivals and want to be with our loved ones, but there is one hurdle, the Indian railways, which is responsible for capsizing such dreams of passengers to be with their loved ones and many a time dreams don’t come to the surface . The imminent days of festivals throw a light of hope , which brings joy in the lives of uncountable people. But there is an impediment in the way, which compels many to travel without ticket and many a times they are humiliated by accompanying passengers ( ticket holders). Even Money fails to salvage dignity. Any how, they complete their journeys with or without seats in train to meet their families. Diwali, Holi, Eid and some regional festivals like chatt, Durga Puja and Pongal create surge in demand for tickets but all of them do not get tickets and fail to attend yearly celebration of festivals and many of them make it to their homes by traveling in inhumane conditions. Soon, suffering becomes a usual sacrifice for meeting family.
Pay More Bhaiya
The situation is worse for a common man in this country. There is an option to book tickets 120 days prior to the departure date but at the time of festival you can’t find a ticket even then. There are other options such as tatkal ticket, if you are able to pay 10% or 30% of the base price of your ticket plus base price ,depending on your coach, only then you can get a tatkal ticket. Those who can’t pay more are left on the mercy of fellow passengers and on ticket collector’s mood, and we all know how that goes. Another option is through an agents, who are also not pocket friendly, as they can very whimsically. The Indian railways must strive to provide as much seats as it can , in order to meet the expectations of the passengers. There are many options for a rich faction of passengers in India but the poor can’t afford any other mean to travel, except by train.
It is not possible to change the practice of years overnight but government can formulate new effective plans for the busy regions such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. Initiatives like ‘clean my coach’ and food delivery service are sheer new start for the betterment. But it is also evident that many people just struggle to survive during the whole journey of 30 to 40 hours without edible food and drinking water. Many hide from T.C in bathrooms and travel the whole journey. This is not a one-time problem, as it comes every year. We must raise our voices for the betterment of conditioning of passengers, as we take stand on lots of other matters like corruption and politics.
Time for Action
It is high time the government, which includes the elite and educated class of this great nation took some stand on this matter. Nobody is ready to accept the fact that we are also a part of the very system we spend our time cribbing about at various public platforms. Also, is this the correct time to move fast like a bullet train, or to speed up the ongoing train? We must take a step back and evaluate our options and choices for the betterment of the majority.
This write up was submitted by Manish Kumar (II Year).
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