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As it did today after a 400-strong mob, protesting against the East Central Railways move to discontinue the New Delhi-Rajgir Shramjivi Express’s stop at Khusrupur station in Danapur Divison, set ablaze six passenger coaches on two trains, the Danapur-Jainagar Intercity Express and the Rajgir-Danapur passenger, and ransacked the station. Hardly had the smoke cleared when the Railways rolled back the order, restored the stop and ruled out any action against the attackers.
While today’s incidents were prompted by an issue directly relating to the Railways — that of discontinuing 33 “temporary” stops across ECR — setting a train on fire or damaging Railway property has become a quick way to gain attention whatever the “cause.”
“When you target Railways, you disrupt services for several hours and then the Government listens,” said a senior Railway official. “It’s also most vulnerable since there are always stretches where you can’t guarantee security.”
The Railways usually plays the victim saying law and order is a state subject. Its short-staffed Railways Protection Force (RPF), whose mandate is to protect Railway property, often finds itself struggling to contain mob fury. In fact, there have been instances where the RPF — unless its men were escorting a train — was the last security force to reach the spot of an incident of mob fury.
The Gurjjar agitation in Rajasthan, in May-June 2008 exemplified this best when hundreds laid blockade on a key location on the Delhi-Mumbai trunk route and uprooted Railway tracks, inflicting heavy revenue losses in both passenger and freight segments. The blockade in Bayana led to cancellation, diversion or short-termination of as many as 1,100 trains in addition to severe damage to railway tracks and rolling stock. For almost 17 days, train services were hit. The siege cost the Railways Rs 50 crore in terms of revenue lost and damaged property. The blockade was lifted only when talks began between the protesters and the government.
Just a week ago, protesting mobs torched as many as 11 railway coaches of the Jammu-Kanyakumari Express in Punjab over the killing of a Dera Sachkhand leader in Vienna. They also damaged a locomotive and a track maintenance machine.
Last year, the killing of a Sikh by the security guard of Dera Sacha Sauda’s Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh led a Sikh organisation to call for a “rail roko” agitation in Punjab that resulted in widespread damage to railway property.
As for today’s incidents in Bihar, the Railways Ministry was quick to underline that Mamata Banerjee’s taking over as Railways Minister had nothing to do with the incident.
Pointing out that the decision to withdraw the 33 temporary stops under ECR “was taken by the Zonal Railway without the approval of the Ministry of Railways”, the ministry said that the “temporary stops were earlier given by the local Zonal Railway administration of East Central Railway (ECR), Hajipur at different stations in response to public request and the stop at Khusropur is one of these”.
On May 26, the ECR issued a notification that these stops, which were of “temporary and experimental nature”, were being withdrawn by the Zonal Railway since these were not commercially viable.
The U-turn came after the attacks. “In view of the public sentiment, the Minister of Railways has, however, directed that these temporary stoppages which were withdrawn by ECR, be restored with immediate effect.”
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Sir, No wise citizen would burn trains or damage property, no wise man gets any enjoyment in harming others and no one has got that much time to do such non-sense things in today world. Also it is also not very difficult to stop such things. unfortunately, all such actions are activated with the vested interest of local or national politicians, who want to divert attention of the people from a core issue and want to release anger of the people. If the politicians will not let this happen, they themselves will become target of the anger of the people. With better education only, such things will stop, unfortunately, our leaders do not want the common people to get better education.
Lawlessness in our country is the gift of spineless governments. It is encouraged by our politicians to gain cheap popularity. They way our governments are functioning and politicians are behaving, such incidents would continue for centuries. The politics of votes has killed the conscious and will of the politicians who form a government. No country can be ruled without an iron hand. The Railway Minister instead of reversing the decision of withdrawing the stoppages should have taken serious action again those who caused damage to the railway property. Her decision has demoralized the administrative machinery and such decisions would encourage lawlessness. Although the law is a state subject, railways are not. Hence, while states must control the law and order, the guilty must be booked and punished the the Centre. And if the Union Government finds that its property is not being protected by a state, it should send its own forces. Politicians must stop fishing.
The Indian Railways has given too much of trains to Bihar connecting it to all the corners of India,which is good but biharibabu never buys the ticket,they prefer to travel free of charge.The justification of allocation of trains to a region should be logical and not at the whims of railway minister.Since Laloo,Paswan &co were railway ministers they tried to please only people of thier state by announcing unlimited trains to and from Bihar and allotted railway factories to that region without any justification.Railway administration too should act wisely and not without logic.The train halt once given ,should never be taken back again at the whims of railway officers or at ministerial whims.These whims only cause all the chaos and it starts with burning of train.Trains are the easiest target and unnecessarily the property worth crores is burnt for nothing.Bihar was led by Laloo and his wife for 10 years and they only encouraged indiscipline in the mindset of bihari people.
Bihar is one of the worst states of India. Laloo Prasad who ruled for decades considered his prosperity top most. I lived in Bihar about 4 decades back in Railways. My life was at risk. Bihar has more number of criminals and honest and innocent have to be subordivate to them if they want to live. Literacy is poor and students threaten teachers to get good marks and succes without effort. Besides lot of poor and illiterates in villages. Toleration level is very low and criminal mindset is high and hence any thing which is inconvenient will result in destruction.B S Ganesh, ganshar@dataone.in 70/9 Basappa Layout, Hanumanthnagar, BANGALORE 560 019
The main reason why security is lax on the Railways is because the Railway Board has always neglected G.R.P and has always tried to promote R.P.F. Law and order according to Constitution is a State Subject and as such Government railway police which is a part of State Administration is best equipped to deal with it. However the Railway Board as well as the General managers of the Zonal railways have always neglected the development of the G.R.P. Since 1955 the R.P.F. has grown many fold where as the Strength of the G.R.P has remained the same. The R.P.F. has strength but no responsibility, The G.R.P. has the power but no strength The R.P.F. should be kept at the same place where it was as the Watch and Ward Staff of the Railway. If we want the security to be increased it is high time that G.R.P's in various State are strengthened.
In first place destorying govt property Maharashtra is first to do that. Most of the MMS youth are uneduacted and they are only thought how to destroyed property. First of all there is no law in this matter. Most of the political jokers are first involved in this.
Indian government should set aside it's vote bank policy and handle such mindless mobs with iron hand . Most of the Indian populace is uneducated and/or narrow minded when it comes to nationalism. We cannot go on like this. If people do not understand this, they should be made to understand.
Its quiet evident, that india cannot manage its people and its property given the magnitude of the population. To make it manageable and make the life of people better, india should split into different countries, else there is no end to these type of issues. Getting brainwashed in the name of patriotism is just not enough.
THIS IS RIDICULOUS. ANYONE FOUND DAMAGING ANY PROPERTY DURING A PROTEST, SHOULD BE SHOT AT SIGHT. UNLESS SUCH ATTITUDE IS TAKEN, WE WILL LOSE MILLIONS WORTH PROPERTY EVERY YEAR DUE TO SUCH MOB ACTIONS. AND NO PARTY IS HELD ACCOUNTABLE!
Such incidents have happened umpteen times and always the GOI property is the sitting DUCK.People do every where Bihar, TN,UP,Punjab. It is ridiculous to find that for an incident which happened in Austria Dera followers in Punjab
Railways / Govt. is unable to save its property - why then we have RPF, CISF, BSF etc. give them bangles, saree and Bindi, instead of arms - India will stil remain safe.
I read comments for and against the burning. The news paper had not explain the situation either. did not the railway do the right thing? Did they get peoples opinion? How was the decision made? why they did not provide protection in advance? where was CBI? Railway should know- what would be the reaction? This story is missing something?
Amid all this hungama, we forgot to hit the reason for such outburst of public.None is questioning the wisdom of Mamta who ordered closure of halts. Withing days how come she knew abt the profitability of those halts? Does we have such great system in place???CLEARLY THIS WAS A CALCULATED TRICK OF MAMTA. When politicians are senseless and revengeful, expecting it for ordinary citizens is utter foolishness.I am surprised to see no query towards Mamta, out new railway minister. Not a fair assessment by most of our readers.
The eye of the Govt. never opens unless suicide or atrocities are being resorted. To get something moved in the Govt. Offices, people have to make an attendance at every interval, eventhough fake promises have not been materialised to the welfare of the people after spending the hard earned money. Now, who is behind for upholding such trends of torturing of the people. Bureaucracy or Ministers or leaders?
When these hooligans do(inspired by the political parties) these public fury, it is real public is suffered. why the government and the railway not stopping this perpetrators and all damages to be levied from those behind these anti national elements. Why do these innocent citizens pay for their hooliganism. It is high time the Congress govt to act. Do not tolerate this nonsense at the cost of innocent public.
This mobocracy is sheer madness. People are giving vent to rage against the authorities for years of false promises of 'Garibi Hatao'. Yet such vandalism to destroy Govt property which is for the people's needs , is mindless. There must be some punitive legislation to deter such uncivilised acts , which reflect badly on our image abroad . It is like cutting the tree-branch you are sitting on. Undoubtedly this village wont see trains for sometime till the mess is cleared !
No one would dare to do such a thing unless assured of protection from some one very powerful. This some one will never be identified nor punsihed. His hands are longer than hands of laws.He knows how to ignite public sentiment and make them do Hara Kiri to serve his ego.The poor villagers must have been untited , paid a good amount of money, alcohol, to organise such a protest.If anyone is interested than look for the director / producer of this script and hang them from nearest lamp post. The day this is done - such protests will end permanently. Otherwise Laloos will flourish at the cost of health of cows in India, and coaches of trains would be burning at Godhra, Khusrupur and Agra.
The only solution for such rampant lawlessness is to ask the police to shoot anybody who burns or destroys public property. Public property is more sacrosanct than private property and goons only listen to the rod.
no one listens to appeals grievence cries.