Gulf Times
Lulu Yadav, the
man of
gimmicks has yet again worked his trademark conjurer''s trick when he presented
the yearly
railway budget. With the last
tenure in progress the budget was on expected lines with more meat for the
hungry proletariat who would be the scapegoat for the next five years. However, probably for the first time we saw
that the commonest among the common man was celebrating. After some six decades of freedom, the Indian
government has exorcist the dreaded attitude the British Raj manifested in
coining the term coolie, but much focus will be to see how this bold
ascertain will be implemented.
Even after the
implementation of curative measures, this workforce was among the most dreaded
community in the railway stations in general and in the pseudo-communist state
of Kerala and Lulu''s own territory in particular.
Travelling by
train in the country of longest
railway network was never an aesthetic experience but at the same time was
never
short of adventure while traversing through this political icon''s own
lovely territory. This is so because we
learn the audacity of travelling will minimal luggage or else we will be saved
of the responsibility of carrying it to its predetermined destination. Secondly, a reserved compartment is the one
infested with most number of passengers travelling without valid tickets. Probably, the political showman has taken a
leaf from the personal experience of these sincere traveler who had be
illustrating the necessity for free season tickets as daily commuters jetting
into reserved compartments and giving the wake-up call to the law-abiding
citizens that the train is their personal vehicle to traverse meager
distance rather than covering long distance. No,
the law-abiding citizen can''t voice their protest as jungle law prevails in the
jungle.
This is where the
technology is at the best. A train which
crawls like a poisons viper can be stopped anywhere and for this we don''t need
the assistance of the well-trained engine driver. Is it not illogical then when the train
crosses in front of my house I should travel all the way to the nearest railway
station and walk back home? Is it not insulting technology if we don''t use the
service of chain meant to stop the train to get down wherever we like? The long-distance traveler when he can travel
tireless for thirty-two odd hours, can''t he enjoy his sojourn for some more
hours rather than a short distance ticketless passenger travelling all the way
to the station and encountering a sincere on duty ticket checker.
In a big country like
India such small happening in one odd part of the country is not very
significant to discuss. But, did the
master politician not wonder at the practical difficulty of assuring permanent
job for, with my sincere apologies, Coolies.
Poor finance minister how is he going to compensate the extra burden of
the national exchequer caused by these sudden new entrants, whose count nobody
knows. The previous governments have
they stipulated any particular criteria for issue the blazing medallion to
these red-clothed helpers. For it is a
common sight to see these domestic help of all age group, some even above the
official retirement age stipulated by the Indian government. What will happen to these service minded
people who had serve the railway with at most dedication. Secondly, with technology advancing even the
position like level-crossing gates or the job of the gang man etc, call for
technical expertise and replacing them just at random will not be short of
adventure, I suppose.
V. K. Shiny Bash
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