The Hindu : Karnataka News : Rail travails

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 25, 2007
ePaper

Karnataka

Karnataka

Rail travails

Didn’t the philosopher say it is better to travel than to arrive?

One would believe it given the ordeal one is forced to put up with while dropping or picking a relative or friend from the City Railway Station.

After an impatient drive through the jammed and polluted roads to the station and another struggle to park your vehicle in the parking lot (you have to pay Rs. 10 to stop for even a minute), you have to wait in long queues to purchase platform tickets. This is because the platform ticket vending machine often stops functioning.

The problem is worse at the rear entrance, especially when it rains.

With the freshly laid tiles having sunk in several places, water stagnates and people are treated to a fair drenching of dirty water whenever any vehicle passes by.

Then the long wait for the arrival or departure of a train begins and amidst the din there is always a threat of either your luggage getting lost or your pocket being picked.

At the end of it, when you are desperate to come out of the station, you might be lucky. Because, more often than not, there is hardly anyone to check your platform tickets.

Punctual

The absence of a political party in power has many fall-outs on several development issues. For a journalist, however, it has personal consequences. When the rule of the politician is in place, they are usually invited as chief guests at any government function.

It could be taken for granted that they will land up late — anywhere between a half hour and a couple of hours. So depending on the Minister invited, the journalist could fix her time to go to the event.

Now, however, in their absence, officials are invited. For this set of dignitaries, 9.30 a.m. means exactly that. It does not mean 10 a.m., 10.30 a.m. or even 9.45 a.m. This means the usually laidback journalist has no choice but to hurry to an event rather than saunter in at her own pace.

Endurance test

There are some politicians who vouch to speak in Kannada but find it difficult to avoid the temptation to mix English terms and references.

Chamarajanagar MP M. Shivanna was recently called to inaugurate a workshop on elephant corridors.

Many of the participants were from other States and some from the U.K. and The Netherlands.

When his turn came to make a speech, he announced: “I will speak in Kannada. I am determined to do so. I know there are many who do not know Kannada,” and began his elaborate presentation.

“I am honoured that you have called a first-time MP when there are many experienced MPs in the State,” he said in Kannada.

He then launched into a speech that veered off track, dwelling upon the location of his constituency, the state of elephants, elephant menace, the role of forest brigand Veerappan and several other issues that occurred to him en route.

He got so carried away his philippic he translated some of the Vachanas into English. After hearing to this elaborate Kannada-English speech, the now catatonic audience had to endure a forest official who translated Mr. Shivanna’s speech into English.

AFSHAN YASMEEN,

SWATHI SHIVANAND,

RAGHAVA M.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka