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Photo: K. Ganesan

Dedicated Committed to the core

Well, neither. On the contrary, the heterogeneous group has come together to further a public cause. Under the flag of the Tamil Nadu Railway Police Friends, they help in regulating crowds at railway stations.

The group of public-spirited citizens is hard to miss at the Madurai railway junction. Their service is of immense benefit to old people and the disabled who find it hard to get into a train otherwise given the rush of people making for the bogies.

For most people, a train journey is usually a pleasant experience. But not for those travelling long distance in an unreserved coach, says P.N. Kesavan, one of the oldest members of this group.

“A train journey is fine when the reservation is confirmed. Or else, there is every chance of your journey turning into a horrendous experience even before the start. For starters, there is a mad scramble for even an inch of space to squeeze yourself into in the unreserved coach. Many would even wish they had taken some other mode of transport under such circumstances.”

But, now at the Madurai rail junction, life is a lot easier for the passengers ever since this group took over the job of regulating the crowds.

The vibrant group of service-oriented individuals, with at least four sexagenarians, not only helps people find a seat in the unreserved coach without any hassle but also comes to their rescue by providing them with other information about train services.

What propelled the electronics engineer into this service? “We wish to create awareness among people on how to conduct themselves in public places. Never lose your temper. We have categorically told members to treat people in a pleasant manner.”

The other members of the group are K.T. Balan, a manager in Imprint Industries, P.R. Selvaraj and Jeyachandran, retired Madura Coats employees, K.S. Jayasankaran, silver merchant, B. Ganesh Lal, foodgrains businessman, N. Senthil Velan, sweet shop owner, C.K. Noorprayan, dyeing unit worker, K. Gowri Raj, retired State Bank of India employee, Bose, working in the field of film distribution, and businessmen Madasamy and Kishore Kumar.

Given their respective professional profiles, how do they find time for social service? Says Mr. Ganesh Lal, “it depends on how dedicated you are. To serve society is important. It took me long to take this decision. But now I wish to start an old age home.”

Mr. Balan, another member who has been in the group right from the beginning, finds immense pleasure in social service. “I had this in me from childhood. On Sundays, I try to do some social work. I have been a Traffic Warden for more than 10 years helping police regulate traffic.”

Everything is systematic about them. They have printed their own application forms and ask for conduct certificates from applicants from the Inspector of the Police Station under whose jurisdiction they reside. They also have their own attendance registers. Though attendance is not a compulsion, members make it a point to do their duty without fail. They also get their registers endorsed by the Deputy Superintendent and Inspector of Railway Police.

S. Thanapal, Inspector, Tamil Nadu Railway Police, Madurai Junction, is all praise for the group: “They are a disciplined lot. Absolutely selfless. I am amazed at their dedication. I have a very strong involvement in motivating police-public cooperation to tackle problems. I have also found success in such an approach. A standing example is this Railway Police Friends. Such initiatives have to be nurtured.”

Mr. Kesavan also attributes the successful functioning of the group to the sustained encouragement from the Tamil Nadu Railway Police and its team in Madurai Junction including Sub Inspector Murugadoss, and policemen Michael and Ganapathy.

The group members have their own identity card and are planning to get uniforms too to set them apart. They are even permitted to check the entire train for unclaimed baggage and immediately report them to the nearby policeman. They also look for inebriated people on trains and hand them over to the police if they are unruly.

What started as a weekend service during nights has now turned into an everyday affair and extended to morning trains.

Those desiring to become a member of this group, can dial 2629798 for Mr. Kesavan or 9245225150 for Mr. Balan.

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