Lalu’s 'bovineconomics' charms audiences in Malaysia

"When I took over the Indian Railways as the minister it was just like a Jersey cow. If you don't look after it how can it serve you," the Railways Minister told more than 400 Indian expatriates who had come to hear him in the Malaysian capital late Thursday evening.

Lalu, who is here on a three-day visit to witness the signing of the USD one billion contract between IRCON and the Malaysian government, also noted that even the ‘earning horse’- referring to the freight trains – ‘too had many faults’.

The minister's observations came as he talked at length about the transformation he has brought to the Indian Railways making it a profit making entity.

"Earlier, we used to go out and learn from others, now people come and learn from us. I have become a professor of the world," the minister, who has lectured students from IIMs, Oxford and Wharton on managerial skills, told the cheering audience.

Acknowledging that there was a huge congestion in the railways, the minister quipped, "Roti does not come from 'inkalab' (revolution), roti comes as a result of infrastructure and power in a country", prompting thunderous applause from the audience.

Speaking in Hindi, he promised that Indian Railways was going to be the top railways network in the world.

"Indian Railways is a golden bird (sone ki chidiya) which had to be restored and the solution was not in hiking fares," Lalu said at the dinner programme, charming the audience with his inimitable style.

"I am no economist, I have grazed cows, but we have democracy and vote raj," he said referring to his political success and added that when he took over the Railway ministry he knew there was a ‘huge potential’.

The minister also had a solution to the water crisis plauging various states.

He said the idea was to get the river water to flow through various connections along the land adjoining the sprawling 24,000 kms railways tracks, which could be delivered all over the country as the land belonged to the railways.

The Indian public sector has been given the mega project to build a double tracking from Seremban-Gemas places in this country.

Lalu also visited the Monorail's office in Kuala Lumpur and had a ride in a monorail coach. Malaysian company Scomi showed a presentation of their new generation coaches.