The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Woman gets award for averting train accident

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 16, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Woman gets award for averting train accident

By S. Dorairaj

CHENNAI, AUG. 15. Fortyeight-year-old A. Amala Mary of Thengankudi in Kanyakumari district was not aware that she was making a gallant effort when she ran a distance of about 300 metres along the railway track to stop a train and avert a major accident in the Thiruvananthapuram-Nagercoil section last month.

But she was the cynosure of all eyes at the 57th Independence Day celebrations at the Fort St. George, when the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, handed over the Kalpana Chawla Award for Bravery to Ms. Mary.

Deafening noise

Narrating the sequence of events on July 9, Ms. Mary said as she was attending to some domestic work, she heard a deafening noise near her house. She came out and rushed towards the railway track after ascertaining that the noise came from that direction only.

She came to know that the noise was caused by a heavy landslip from a height of 50 feet, and the railway track was covered by sand and boulders. She realised that she had to act quickly to avert an accident as only a few minutes were left for the Thiruvananthapuram-Nagercoil passenger to cross the point. The thought of a train accident, close to her residence, sent shivers down her spine.

All her priorities — taking care of her disabled husband, unmarried daughters and the only son doing a diploma course — were given a go-by. She could not even think of the odd jobs she had to undertake to eke out a living, as her only concern then was to do something to stop the train, which was a few kilometres away from the spot. As she was running out of time, she ran in the opposite direction along the track.

Presence of mind

The moment she saw the train, after covering 300 meters, she started waving the pallu of her red-coloured saree to signal the train to stop. Her presence of mind and selfless effort yielded the result. She heaved a sigh of relief only when the train, carrying over 500 passengers, came to a halt well ahead of the spot.

The Chief Minister handed over the award and a cheque for Rs. 5 lakhs for her brave and humanitarian act. Asked about the award, Ms. Mary said more than the honour, she felt immensely satisfied that she was able to save precious lives. The award could be utilised for the wedding of one of her two daughters, she said.

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