By: Mitesh Modi
@the_news_21
Mumbai: Those who have never travelled by any Mumbai local trains or public transport for years, leaders who do not step outside without a chauffeured car, neither this generation nor their next seven generations will travel in local trains. Such a leader sits in an air-conditioned room and gives a statement that he will see that the AC local train is shut down. Hey, leave the local train, can they just switch-off the AC of their car off for a day and travel in Mumbai?
In today’s changing climate, when there is a need to convert all the local trains into AC local trains, no Mumbaikar doubts that the talk of shutting down the few that run is regressive and motivated by political self-interest.
An AC local train is not a luxury but a basic necessity for millions of Mumbaikars who daily travel under inhuman conditions. When will the politicians realise that many precious human lives are saved every day due to the closing doors of the AC local train during the journey? Or is that potential vote bank more important than human life? Railway officials are well aware that a major portion of the revenue required by the railways now comes from the AC local train and that is why they are gearing up to run more services.
It is our misfortune that all the politicians when sitting in the opposition forget the development and start cooking their own political bread only with the politics of opposition.
A point has been found to incite people to vote for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. A common traveller will be the victim. If a court orders that all elected public representatives and secretaries of ministries must travel by Mumbai local trains during their term in office, then see how soon all the suburban local trains will become AC local trains or bullet trains and railway stations will rival airports.
These are the same league of leaders who initially opposed the Rajdhani Express trains and then travelled free of cost to New Delhi every time in Rajdhani Express only.
It is necessary for Mumbai railway travellers to unite and publicly oppose such a statement of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar with one voice, otherwise they will have to prepare to travel in a microwave oven in the near future.
The Author Mitesh Modi can be contacted on email – miteshbmody@gmail.com
