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Caught, released and then a free ride

Special Correspondent

NFIW workers detained for ticketless travel; railways later offer free passes

JAIPUR: In what could be a rare case of political workers getting caught in the act and also paying for it, the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW) recently paid over Rs.1 lakh to the Indian Railways as penalty after its members were caught for allegedly travelling without ticket.

The 109-strong NFIW contingent from Chhattisgarh was on its way from Raipur to Delhi to take part in the recent dharna in support of women's reservation when they were caught and sent to jail by the Railway magistrate at Agra.

The Federation had to cough up Rs.976 as penalty for each of the 109 persons -- allegedly tortured by the Railway police in the meantime— before it could free them from jail. NFIW general secretary Annie Raja and secretary Nisha Siddhu, who rushed to Agra from the Jantar Mantar dharna site in Delhi for their rescue, paid in cash after taking the money from its parent party, the Communist Party of India.

The all-tribal group, which included 59 women and two children, was intercepted on August 3 near Agra and sent to the district jail there. Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, when contacted by the NFIW leadership for the release of their members, expressed his helplessness over the matter as it involved a decision of the judiciary.

"He advised us to pay up even if that meant his giving back the money to us from his own pocket later," said Nisha Sinddu, back here in the Rajasthan capital after the 17-day dharna. "We thought it was our responsibility to get them released at the earliest even if it meant paying so much money. We could not have allowed our cadres to feel demoralised," she said. NFIW proposes to pay back the money to CPI. "It is a matter of our self-respect," she observed.

The Federation leadership was afraid for the safety of their members as many of them were allegedly beaten and terrorised by the Railway police. "The fact that the issue involved the Ministry of Lalu Prasad and they were jailed in Agra in Uttar Pradesh where Mulayam Singh Yadav is Chief Minister added to our worry. Both of them are known for their opposition to women's reservation," said Ms. Siddhu.

Perhaps all is well that ends well. The jailor, acting tough till then, offered tea to the guests from Delhi and those in custody before their release. In a pleasant move the Railways arranged free passes for all the passengers— who were seemingly convinced by then that Delhi is afar and only wanted to be back home -- for their return journey by Utkal Express on August 6 evening. "They were accommodated in a special bogey and a ticket examiner, who was briefed about them, travelled with them," said Ms. Siddhu.

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