A train Travel in Cattle Class.

Cattle Class

When i first heard this phrase quoted by Shashi Tharoor i was astonished  and sad .Astonished because how  a personality Like Shashi Tharoor who was in a respectable Government post  can be so casual and how can he pass such a derogatory remark. Sad because some where at some point the phrase was justifying the real picture of the great mother India.

I also got the chance (by accident, i guess) to experiment and experience the Great Cattle Class Of India.

It was the Deepawali holidays when i along with my two friends decided to visit our hometown by the Great SANGHAMITRA Express which originates from Bangalore and terminates at Patna in Bihar.

We reserved our ticket from Bangalore to Mugalsarai and as usual we were put in waiting list of 71, 72 and 73. We knew that the ticket is never going to be confirmed but we, the greatest Optimists on this earth, decided to wait and wait but in vain. Now the tension started building up our list dropped to 33, 34 and 35 but still waiting means no berth and no comfort. Finally something good happened and with the help of my dear uncle, who is in Railways, we got a quota and our two tickets got confirmed. But this was just the beginning of something which we have never experienced. It was just the trailer of the movie, worst part was ahead.

The scheduled departure of Sanghmitra from Bangalore is 9AM and we reached there in time. The train came to platform number 1 and our Bogie was B1 seat number 19 and  22 both upper berth. Upper berth in a journey like Bangalore to Mugalsarai which is about 2600km is like dream come true. Upper Berth means no connection with other passengers and no disturbance and no pleading of other waiting tickets for sitting on your berth. Its a Royal Comfort which a very lucky person is endowed with. 

We settled very fast and started searching for the TC so as to get the idea of the rush and also to get one more berth as only two tickets were confirmed.  We searched out that the train was packed and packed to more than its saturation point. So we decided to carry on with two seats only.

People started coming inside for their journey and the train started to fill. In our compartment a family came with two reserved ticket and one waiting and with a crying baby and with 13 big luggage and this was just the start. Our bags were thrown out of their proper places and their bags occupied those voids.  When we talked to them we found out that they also got their ticket reserved from Quota. When i investigated i saw that maximum quota people were given the same bogie. And each quota people carried one extra waiting member with them just as we did.

The journey started with peace and non violence till Chennai.  In Chennai , our prediction went right more people entered with more waiting tickets. Now our compartment was full with 13 people for 8 berths. The most amazing part was that three girls who boarded the train at Chennai with only one ticket confirmed which was lower berth and, rest two girls with general ticket ( that helped them a lot), adjusted themselves in that lower berth only. How they adjusted is a mysterious case and i guess Sherlock Holmes would also fail to answer. People from different seats came to see this Magical CHAMATKAR of adjustment. And let me mention here that they slept throughout  the journey without any discomfort.

This adjustment thing gave an example and also humiliation to many waiting and confirmed ticket passenger.

TCs’ were helpless and they permitted everyone to travel and asked them to sit wherever they find the place.

Everyone from our compartment was scheduled at least to Allahabad. Then we also adjusted our self and prayed to God that somehow drop us to our destiny.  We made a pact that we will allow everyone, who is in need,  to sleep in our seat for fixed time. The time quota was 4 hours each and we followed the chain and everyone was satisfied.  The time passed very fast and we reached Allahabad. My friends Mandeep and Shivam got off here with other passengers.

Train was late for 2 hours and i reached Mugalsarai at 7.30 AM. I thanks God and Sanghmitra for Dropping me safe and i then continued to Varanasi with my jeep which was waiting for me to pick up.

Me along with Mandeep

Religion from Youths perspective...

Ram Charit Manas a book which you can find in every hindu’s house (in north especially). And i am not the exception, we also have an edition of the same. I have been listening verses of this great book since childhood. I remember my grand grandfather use to read it every day and me along with other children of my village sit beside him to listen, not to get enlightened but to get Prasad after the sermon. I always heard this as a story blended with fantasy and fiction and excellent use of imagination. I never took any religious story seriously and my family had and has no problem with that. I accept here that i am not a theist or an atheist but yeah i consider myself as an Agnostic. I am not comfortable with dogmas, rather i use my curious mind to analyse it rationally and come to conclusion. I was never judgemental after the climax of the story. I tried asking people why Ravana abducted Sita. The answers which i got were funny and impractical. Every one said that Ravana was a demon and that was his job to do evil things. When i asked them about Surpanakha being assaulted by Laxman and Ram both, they preferred to remain silent.

It is said that person who wins the war writes the history. Don’t you think that Ram Story is also the example of the same. I have heard that Ravana was a great philosopher and highly learned person, so how a highly learned person can do a fool’s job???  May be we don’t or we are not allowed to think so deep because that can raise finger on the deity itself. I am not criticizing any group, simply i am presenting my doubts. One thing that i learned from this book is that “all that glitter is not gold”. I am thankful to my family that they encouraged me to think out of the box and always corrected me whenever i went too rational. I guess that this is my religion which permits me to think beyond dogmas and allows me to cross the regional boundaries.

I am a simple living boy and i get least fascinated by the mysteries of God. It is said that if you will criticize your religion you will land nowhere but in hell. But i believe in simple theory: whis is called Charvak Siddhanth

“Yavat jivet sukham jivet rinam kritwa ghritam pibet

Bhasmibhutasya deshaysa punarAgamanaH kutaH?”

What should I write.....

People have been asking and poking me to write some thing. Its been long since i wrote some thing new.  I am not sure what to write, which topic to uphold, what to criticize or praise.

What should i write about... should i write about the bad and sense less politics, or should i write about the aimless religions, or should i write about superstition which has deep root in the Indian culture, or should i write about the corruption which is eating India, should i write about the increasing crime and flexible laws, or should i write about the terrorism which has now become  a most discussed topic, or should i write about the poverty in India, or should i write about increasing population, or  should i write about the opening ceremony of world cup, or should i write about the remarkable win over New Zealand by Indian team, or should i write about the Arushi murder case, or should i write about DGP Rathore case, or should i write about the films which are on the floor, or what should i write...

I guess, i should write what is correct and which my inner self agrees with...

i should write which gives me satisfaction... i should write what can AWAKE people as OSHO said that the humanity is sleeping from centuries and they are needed to be awakened ...