The stampede at Elphinstone Station brings up a million questions about our system and our priorities.
Mainly, it raises a fundamental question: do we as a state require an upgrade in our intra-state railway infra, especially for Mumbai, or do we pay for a fancy toy to display theatrics to the world, one which doesn't benefit our state directly?
Yes, the Railways has been traditionally called Mumbai's lifeline. Millions of people ferry on it each day. With the distance covered, time more or less kept and the volume of people transported, it was truly a wonder of the transport world. The point is, after decades of the same infrastructure, mostly crumbling, is it still a wonder?
This isn't a wonder anymore. It is the resilience of the people who keep using the network, simply because most of them don't have a voice or the time to make their voice heard. Furthermore, the railways administration is so opaque, that any voice gets lost in the echoes of files moving from one officer to another.
Each one of them, on multiple occasions (to their reminder letters or speeches in Parliament) received a letter from the then ministers.
Why is Mumbai given step-motherly treatment despite having contributed so much to the national income and while having (at many times) the same party in power at the centre and the state?
In August, when Mumbai received its heaviest rain in 12 years, the Railways stopped operating during rush hours and there was an overflow of people using road transport, leading to jams and people stranded.
How is this a lifeline anymore?
Another incident from August 29 shown in a video taken by a BMC staffer captures the water, logged in a particular area, only receding when they broke open concrete constructed structures that held the water flow along with tons of debris and plastic dumped unscientifically into outlets.
If truly the Railways has to upgrade itself to the new lifeline of Mumbai, which is needed, it has a fantastic ground-level staff. The system needs to bring in rejuvenation to the railway infrastructure. The system needs to get local, blend in and coordinate with local agencies.
As of today, we really don't need a bullet train, when so many people are killed in such circumstances without a bullet.
The way it is being forced onto people, with crores of rupees being splurged on it, it can be called a "bullied train" instead of the bullet train.
No common Mumbaikar is going to go to Ahmedabad daily using only a bullet train for work, and vice versa, especially when one compares the practical rates of the ticket vis-a-vis those of the airplane that makes the journey in an hour.
What we urgently need is an upgrade in these existing facilities.
These trains, even today, are sitting targets for terrorists. After the blasts and terror attacks, we still don't know whether everyone who goes inside is armed or unarmed. But by the compulsion of our need, we use them, not questioning the authorities.
Let me leave aside the recent spate of derailments. On a more positive note, there are many things the government can do, instead of spending on something that has no benefit for Mumbai, yet forcing it on to Mumbai.
A plan for elevated Railways was touted. That will help us ease the crowds on the North- South corridor in Mumbai. I had even suggested pedestrian pathways and a bicycle track, like the green way project in New York. It was spoken about by the then Minister, then lost in the echoes of files.
Mumbai also needs trains that go clockwise and-anti clockwise around the city. Connecting the North- South ends of the existing railway structure with its parallel lines could do wonders for transportation for Mumbai.
None of the above ideas are new. They have been discussed "positively" for a while. Implementation is needed.
Another pertinent question is: do we need a separate Ministry of Railways at the State level across India to sort out daily issues?
Millions of people use it each day, Railways are very local to cities like Mumbai, and coordinating with a faceless, opaque ministry in Delhi is a hassle.
As mentioned earlier, the ground staff, and the way it manages things is a wonder, with the way the infrastructure is crumbling. The people who use it, are a blessing for the Railways as they are too busy to curse it.
Mumbai deserves respect in the form of sustainable, democratic development in return for the way it supports the country financially. We don't need development that has gone "crazy"! We need our voice to be heard, acted on the way Mumbai wants it to be.
(Aaditya Thackeray is the president of Yuva Sena, the youth wing of Shiv Sena)
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
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