THE LIFE LINE OF MUMBAI - MUMBAI LOCAL TRAINS
Sometimes back I got an opportunity to ride in Mumbai Local train, it was from Borivali to Churchgate on western line.Reached Borivali station and found people were very disciplined and standing in serpentine queue awaiting their turn to come to take their ticket. Frequency of trains are very short, At every 2 minutes there is a train. Even though Sea of passengers feel it is not enough and the sight of all the trains where people hanging out from the trains gives an spine chilling view. At this view I got nervous, how I can ride into this train where plethora of people travel.
I congregate all my energy and confidence and told myself to take a ride. Very soon my turn has come and I purchased return ticket from Borivali to Churchgate. There are two categories of trains slow and fast. Slow as name suggest it stops at all stations between Borivali and Churchgate whereas Fast stops only at main stations in between.
Unfortunately I happened to get a chance into slow local. As the Borivali bound train from Churchgate arrived which in turn become Churchgate bound local from Borivali since Borivali is the terminating point for these trains.
As the train stops at the platform herd of passengers come out like someone is throwing jute sand bags from the train and with the doubly speed passengers enter into the train and in this process each and every one get rubbed with each other resulting in tearing of shirt or bag hanging from shoulder or getting neck sprain or the very dangerous occurrence that you may alighted from the train but still your one of the leg got stucked in the mass of passengers. You are crying and train started, no scope for getting out finally with a jerk leg will be out with a sprain. Its destiny that one got survived otherwise it was sure shot death. I was fortunate that with a push from behind by other passengers who were more in hurry to enter train, I got finally entered into the train. hardly I got enough room to keep one of my leg on the floor on the corridor and my other foot was stamping another fellow passenger's foot. My both hand jabbing side of the partition which divides corridor and sitting area.
All your scent of Fahrenheit and crease of your shirt and trouser vanishes like you never wore before. Fragrance of your scent will be replaced by stinking perspiration and humidity. At every stop of train you be prepared to get a drastic push by incoming and outgoing passengers.You start burning your calories in this process and this is the exercise which regularly Mumbaites do to keep themselves fit.
Finally going through all this ordeal and standing in the same position for 40 to 45 minutes Churchgate station arrived and with one push I was out of snail paced running train. I immediately went to washroom and the whole washroom was stinking with urine and urea. came out quickly and made my shirt tucked inside my trouser which came out during this terrific journey.
Our politicians always give speech and promises that they are going to turn Mumbai into Shanghai very soon. I had an opportunity to visit Shanghai in year 2006 and by seeing its massive infrastructure, wonderful metro rail system, wide roads, 6th densely populated high rise buildings in the world....reaching near to that itself will take an era for Mumbai. I am not criticizing but its plain truth and am not denying that still it is possible to make Mumbai like a Shanghai but here lies the political will and the vision. Lets see how our dream city Mumbai is getting faired.
Your comment on the above is most welcome.
With lots of love and regards,
A very good night...... :)
MANOJ KUMAR OJHA
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