I am writing this on the Jan Shatabdi train from Dehradun to Delhi. I am traveling by the AC chair car. I am musing how this train can be improved so that foreigners of all types can travel without disdain, not just the extreme-India-loving or hippie types.
The most remarkable aspect of the train at the moment is the cockroaches. There was one walking about in the aisle near my foot until someone stepped on it accidentally. Its body lies there, half squished. There was one on the door as a lady in front of me opened it without noticing the creature – I wondered what would be the scene if it fell on her. There is one by my own window. They rule the place.
I don’t know if you have read the book “The Tipping Point”. It tries to show that things do not always change gradually – often a point of inflection is reached after which things change precipitously. The story of crime in New York City is a key example. By policing and preventing minor crime such as graffiti on walls or free riders on the trains, the nature of the city changed dramatically and more serious crime dropped.
I see the same thing at the apartments where I live. Every once in a while, the common areas are whitewashed. Things stay pristine for quite a while. But when we get the first squirt of paan-juice in a basement corner and it is not taken care of at once, we know that part of the planet is going to change quickly. Very soon, that corner will become a shrine to the Betel Nut and Associated Products. It will be anointed by more red paan stains, a few lighter colored gutka stains, and showered with empty gutka packets.
Similarly, once the first obscenity is scrawled in the lift and it is not painted over, there is an avalanche of stunted minds expressing their immature frustrations on the lift’s walls. I think this is the tipping point phenomenon in action.
(WHOO – A COCKROACH ALMOST CRAWLED UP MY ELBOW JUST NOW !!! I regret to say that I swatted at it and probably killed it. I’m not feeling very animal-friendly at the moment…)
In the Indian Railways, I think the tipping point we need to end the direct dumping of excreta (feces in other words, or more plainly, shit) on the tracks by the toilets which are essentially just holes in the floor, and to banish the cockroaches from the coaches. If we can get rid of these two symbols of disrepair and decrepitude, we might be able to fix the rest of the system rather quickly. What do you think?
9 comments:
Respected Sir,
The blog is showing what we are doing.
"Change is the rule made by nature", nothing is permanent.
The present condition of our railways is due to our own people,nobody think for it as responsible citizen. In my view this condition will remain as it is until people by themselves think for it.
Sir, you have mentioned about AC chair car than,we can think about the general coach that what condition it is facing.People throw wrappers, polythene, eatables in the coach itself.
I am traveling from Indore to Bhopal on the Intercity, just beside me a senior person is sitting he eats wafers and threw the packet in the coach. I asked him to throw it outside the train, he replied you do your work, I have purchased ticket for traveling and I am free to do what I want.I am surprised by his answer, this is condition we are facing today,and that beetle nut and gutka is now trademark of ours we can find it anywhere.In such condition until we take initiatives by our own the condition will remain same.
Thank You.
Proton Chetan Choparia
Fall 09
Good morning Sir,
Yet again you've come up with a theme which represents a large cause.
Sir, to meet the essential changes in our 150-year old railway system, it will require more than just the fund-oriented infrastructural alterations………It’s gonna need more people to be wanting for such changes.
I’ll again say that the Change begins with the one in the mirror………if the common man does not learn to keep the railways clean; the Government will be least concerned.
The people will need to learn to respect the public properties – Be it trains, buses, lifts in a building, public toilets or National monuments. Its them who first have to understand that train/bus seats, building lifts etc. are for other people as well and releasing their frustrations by ripping the seat-covers, spitting paan, or scribbling obscenity will only start a chain reaction, rather than easing off any troubles.
However, Indian Railways Department is conducting a pilot test for Vacuum Toilets (Ones in Aircrafts), to be installed in trains. Its not until WE exercise some discipline, will the government bother to bring about these changes.
But as I mentioned in my comment on ‘Non-Veg is Okay, but must we be Cruel?’; the general public tends to take it as a Cause too Small!!!
In one of his articles, Sandeep Sir rightly called Indians as very Tolerant bunch of people…No matter how inefficient the new CAT application process has become, students will pretend to be satisfied with no-one ever questing the procedure.
People don’t care to raise their voice over such issues thinking it’s a Cause Too Small. Shahrukh khan in a commercial says “Is country ka sabse bada problem yahi hai ki sab kuchh chalta hai, jo jaisa hai, sab usi se Santusth hai –--Arey Aap kyu ho Santushth?”
--Have a Nice day Ahead
Pr. Akash Ahluwalia
Fall-09 Intake, Indore.
gudmrng sir,
acc to me , u r absolutely correct..and we should b the one to take initatives,but the time is that if we go and ask some1 else to also 2 do we will surely get a worst reply.
acc to me the rules which govement takes,their should b strictly implementation of this rules and on this thing our gov should adopt the strategies and tactics like the countries japan and america do.becoz we people will not change until and unless we hav to pay for it..as it is the nature of we indias.....
thanking you,
kratika joshi
fall 09 intake,indore.
Sir,
Your observation was right and even I feel the same thing, that probably these two reasons help Airline companies to grow more.
And one more ponit which I noticed is that tonnes of garbage laying on the two sides of the track without claiming any ownership.So,What I think is that Govt. should solve the problem by fixing dump-can on outerside of the coach.and garbage wll pass through a pipeline and it will gather at one place(dump-can) and waste collector can easily vacuum it at every station.
What is your opinion sir?
I know this idea demands some more modification which I wish will be from your side, Sir.
Yours Proton,
Abhishek Soni
Kratika, your use of abbreviations made me laugh. I think you should write differently on the web than on SMS. :-)
Good morning Sir,
Common sense is not so common in INDIA.Every body is facing these type of problem very often. Authorities are also aware of it,but you know our government employees are very busy...
My suggestion to every body, while traveling carry "RED HIT-BAADA COCKROACH KA LIYE"
THANK YOU SIR
for sharing your thoughts
Proton Sanjay Lulla
GUDMORNING SIR,
I SORRY SIR FOR THIS MISTAKE,,
AND VERY THANKFUL TO YOU THAT U MADE ME AWARE.. I WILL DEFINATELY NOT REPEAT THIS AGAIN...
THANKING YOU
KRATIKA JOSHI
CARNEGIE HALL
FALL 09 INTAKE
Respected Sir
Sir your concern on the critical situation of Indian Railways sanitary and hygiene maintenance is correct. But sir I would like to draw your attention to the possible reasons which have result this situation.
1. The gap between the supply and demand which result, over capacity on the railway infrastructure.
2. The lack of motivation amongst the employees to serve the common public.
If at all the Indian Railways adopts some measures to improve sanitation facility and take care of the cockroaches also, still the problem would not get off from the roots….
Regards
Proton Mohit Dalmia
08PR00102BB017
Hi, I just discovered your blog while searching on google for anyone writing on a topic i have been for 4 years - please see railwaysHit.com and the blog attached to it. Lets visit and carry the work and conversation forward. It is the tipping point for sure.. and maybe more !. take care, do reply to indianevada@yahoo.com.
George, Dr George Joseph Themplangad
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