Shiv Sena surprises rail commuters

RAILWAY commuters are taken by surprise by the role of political parties vying to take up their problems. Senior Western Railway officials were almost abused and shouted down by Shiv Sena leaders, Opposition leader Ramdas Kadam at a meeting in Borivali on Monday.

The Sena leadership, which included Kadam, party MP and Saamna editor Sanjay Raut, former minister Gajanan Kirtikar and Mayor Dr Subha Raul, made a hue and cry about the problems of the Borivali commuters before the officials. The MNS also jumped in the fray and arranged lawyers for those arrested in the rail roko at Borivali.

The railway commuter organisations are wondering where these parties were for all these years, when commuters faced several problems and launched agitations.
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"Not a single agitation was launched by the Sena for the commuters in the last four or five years, why have they suddenly become interested in the resolving our problems. Is it because elections are due soon," a commuter asked?

"The parties did not have time to listen to the problems of commuters. Not a single MP was interested in the issue. All these years, they have shown no sympathy towards commuters, despite traveling conditions being worse. So many people have lost their lives and limbs in accidents," Deepak Gandhi, president of the Mumbai Suburban Railway Passengers Association, said.

"There have been so many agitations, but no political party took part in these agitations. It's the commuter organizations that has been fighting for themselves," said Madhu Kotian, president of Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh.

"We agitated for the rights of the Virar commuters, all parties supported us, but the agitation was never under the banner of any one political party. Otherwise, political parties may not have been active in fighting for the rights of commuters," said K K Prakasan, leader of the Democratic Youth Federation of India.

Kirtikar does not agree with these views. "Its not that parties like Shiv Sena were not unaware of the problems. Public representatives, including MPs have been pursuing the commuter's problems in their own way with the administration and the Railway Ministry. The MPs keep writing letters and meet officials from time to time. However, when there is an outrage like this, we have to take up their problems as a political party. Sometimes, even those who we fight for do not support us and are not present when we organise meetings to resolve their problem," Kirtikar said.