Rail fare hike, inside a train toilet and a Lady co-passenger

The recent hike in Rail fare had brought wide condemnation to the Narendra Modi Government from many  “patriotic” news channels and political parties. Those, who travel by Rail frequently, know the plight of the Indian Railway passengers. A rail journey, right from ticketing to travel, is an endurance test to your physique, mind and body’s immunity system as you have to amend with the filth, unhygienic food, cockroaches apart from the fear of getting robbed and humiliated, more so if you happen to be a lady passenger.

In the month of March to May, this year, I had to visit frequently with my family from Digboi to Guwahati. I have been recently transferred to Guwahati and still trying to get used to the messy city with its inherent problem of water logging and ever increasing mercury. My two year old son however liked the overnight rail journeys and whenever he spots a train passing through near our place at Noonmati, he points out “bhanga train…bhanga train.. jam…jamm” (See the broken train… broken train …Will go…will go). Indeed Indian rail is now full of those “bhanga” (broken) trains.

I was travelling from Kolkata to Guwahati with a middle aged couple in a 2^nd class sleeper compartment. The year was 1998 and I could hardly afford a flight or a higher class travel then. Those days, I used to talk a lot and make immediate friendship with the co-passengers so that I could bombard them with endless chatting. The wife of the middle aged gentleman was quite a dominating personality and it was she, who used to do the most of the talking while the poor husband had to remain contended being the passive listener. Whenever he occasionally tried to raise his voice to correct or to add  to some of her statements, she  retorted “ chup thaka.. tumi eko najana” ( Shut up… You don’t know anything) which was enough to remind the meek husband the limit beyond which his trespass was not expected.

In the next morning, the train entered the Assam boarder and my biological clock ticked me to hurry off to the toilet.  After the foremost job was over, I was shocked to find the lone water tap in the toilet absolutely running dry. I waited for about 20 odd minutes, heard at least 5 agitated knocks at the door of other passengers and finally with no hope of getting water in the hindsight, I made the best use of the handkerchief I was carrying in my pocket and came out.

After about 20 minutes, it was the turn of my lady co-passenger and she entered into the same toilet. I wondered whether she carried a handkerchief like me and I believe she didn’t. She stayed inside the loo for more than half an hour. When she came out, her beautiful face uttered nothing, but looked like an absolute embodiment of discomfort.

In the entire journey for the next 5-6 hours to Guwahati, neither me nor the lady co-passenger talked while the submissive husband basked in the glory of new found freedom and kept the chattering continue.

With the increase in Rail fare, if Mr. Modi is able to turnaround the Rail infrastructure, no one will be able to write a story like mine sans such colourful experiences inside  an Indian train. That’s one more reason for some people to fight tooth and nail against any fare hike and let the system rot.

You can contact Kamaljit at kamaljitmedhi1975@gmail.com