The Indian Railways treats animals better than human beings!
There are statistics available about how many people travel in a local train in Mumbai, about the number of people standing per square meter, etc. I really don’t know how they get these figures, because when I travel, on most days there are so many people surrounding me from all sides that I can’t even move my hand or leg!
I am a student and like most other students, depend on local trains for my daily commuting. It is becoming impossible now! I make this statement after 7 years of travelling. I have travelled in all possible ways one can. Both safe and unsafe. Every day the reported number of deaths of people from local trains is about 10-12. I myself have witnessed people falling off trains due to overcrowding.
We are being treated worse than animals. I recently learnt that the Indian Railways has rules about transporting cattle and other animals. You cannot put more than the given number of animals in a given area. And yet there are no such rules for people!
We pay an ever-increasing fare, and yet our safety is not guaranteed. Science and engineering have come a long way to easily ensure safe travel. However enough budgetary resources are not being allotted to make suburban rail travel safe and bearable. Rather than the logical step of employing more people for the ever increasing requirements in maintenance, planning and development of the railways, every government, irrespective of which party or coalition is formed, is on a spree of downsizing the number of permanent employees! More and more people are being employed on contract, where they are made to work for 12 hours straight. They have no job security and are paid a fraction of what permanent workers are paid for the same job.
The situation is continuously deteriorating. We simply cannot accept people getting crushed and killed daily! People’s outburst of rage and damaging trains occurs through desperation, after all other avenues fail. I am not for damaging trains; what I want to say is that the fault lies with the authorities who do not act and ensure that people get what is rightfully theirs.
– Sheena
