WE are a nation of hypocrites. We keep complaining about how we don’t develop as a nation. Or that we don’t move forward. This is what we hear and speak all the time.
But have we ever wondered why? Have YOU ever wondered why? Why are we not moving forward or not developing? Sure, the most common reply would be corruption. Never goes out of fashion, that. Does it now? Well, to some extent it might be a factor. But is it the ONLY factor?
I mean, if I think about it, there are wayyyyy more things for which we people ourselves are responsible. Yep.
We keep complaining that the public transportation system is not well managed. We have heard countless accounts of friends and family who stay or have been abroad about the public transportation system. How they don’t feel like traveling via their personal vehicle because *public transport, bro*.
So we keep on cursing the system of “old and poorly maintained trains” running on our railway tracks but we don’t acknowledge that there are some issues with our own attitude.
I mean I don’t even have to go back much. Let’s talk about the recently launched Tejas Express – India’s first high speed and well-equipped train from Mumbai to Goa that covers 630 kilometers in less than nine hours. (Way to go, Suresh Prabhu).
Yes, this was our moment of glory. The Tejas Express. That would put us in the league of countries like China, Germany, etc. Or was it?
The facilities provided on-board were unbelievable and amazing. Unheard of, by the general population in India. The train had modern amenities like LCD TVs, WiFi, CCTV, tea and coffee vending machines, bio-vacuum toilets and water taps equipped with motion sensor! Surely that was too good to be true. After all, this is what we hear from our US wali maasi, or Germany wale chacha.
And all of this was HERE. IN INDIA.
So what did we do?
Of course, one thing that we Indians are amazing at- Destruction of public property.
On its very first journey, the passengers who traveled by the Tejas Express made sure that they destroyed everything possible and even stole the headphones!
I hope they are proud of this feat that put us in the news for all the wrong reasons.
Why don’t people understand that they are only the ones who pay for these services? The government is trying to provide us with better services but the only thing holding us back is ourselves!
Also, acts like these raises a question. Do we really deserve high-quality facilities like those given on the Tejas Express? After all, if these things are going to be vandalised and stolen anyway, the government should rather provide low-quality services to us and then spend the money saved on food, education or employment.
If it’s the government’s duty to develop our country, we have the duty to maintain it. It is high time now that we must start using the resources provided to us by our government wisely.
I realise all of this is plain talk because things like these keep happening over and over again.
So here are some practical solutions-
- Checks before deboarding– Before a train journey gets over, the officials on board should check every passenger’s seat- whether all things are in proper order or not.
- Imposing fines– If any facility is found tampered with, the passenger should be heavily fined.
- No-traveler list– Just like airlines have a No-flier list for unruly passengers, why can’t we build a similar list for such passengers on trains? They should not be issued tickets for future journeys.
If people cannot use their civic sense by themselves, it is about time the government takes such matters in its own hands and deals with defaulters strictly.
-Megha Gupta
Edited by Mrinaal Datt
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