Ride atop Duronto

Ride atop Duronto

Having reached Nizamuddin station by 3 in the afternoon, the first cabin i came across was of Senior Station manager on platform no. 1. THe private cafeteria that used to run from this site had been shifted to another end. It was on P.F 3 Chennai Duronto came closely followed by men who had been assigned the duty to watch and whisper. Since the train had the capacity to equal Rajdhan's speed i had presumed the sleeper class too would have closed tinted windows. The sleeper coaches were in as operative spirit as any sleeper coach, the exterior should not be the sole determining factor. Inside the coach the will to have meals and water (included in the ticket) was a consolation. The first and the sole tea-serving for the first day came at around five.   As the evening turned to night the cold spell had been a drawback with the comfort that bed roll could be taken at a cost of Rs 30.

The train left at 3.56 from Nizamuddin, going past Faridabad at 4.10  hodal at 4.30 palwal at 4.50  mathura at 5.15 and raja ki mandi stations somewhere between 17. 51 and 17.49 (two display boards showing two timings). The first interruption came at 7.15 when the train slowed and remained unmoved for a while. Bhopal coming at 1 am and Nagpur at 6.30 in the morning suggested the train was behind schedule. Going past Sewagram at 7.15  and Pothra bridge at 8. 14. Reaching Majri station at 8.52 with one track occupied by an engine bearing  82018 number. Reaching Chandrapur at 9.10 and Balarshah at 9.25 suggested Maharashtra was coming to a close.

Going past Ramagundam 10.55 (fairly clean) and Pedapally at 11.07, with the latter having  upper waiting hall, ladies waiting hall  and a tea parcel shop on the main platform. Just before Vijaywada was to come there is a nagarjuna cement plant amidst hills which seems to suggest they are rich in resources followed by new west block hut guard giving green signal and a  flyover over rail that looked to be running out of strength.

Vijaywada came at 2.40 with P. F 7 having a Higgin newspaper/book cart run by a polite vendor and a bsnl telecom centre but no pco around. During the time the train was on the platform it saw a surge in vendors selling bananas. Then there is Dakshen rest't on the same platform and adjacent to P.F. 10 is a water tank. As the train pulls out of station near bridge no 4 one comes across a a nullah which can be effectivelu used for establishing a power plant or any such structure.
Bitragunta station came at 5.35 with the guard in starched white outfit, followed by Alluru Road at. 5.39. By this time the train had made up for the minutes it was running behind schedule. Nellore at  6 and Gudur at 6. 28 (passengers normally get down here to take another train for reaching Lord of Seven Hills)

Finally reached Chennai after 8.30 in the evening with rains dashing the city outskirts. It was a journey that had the advantage of getting ticket below 1000rs (since i had replaced the old with a new ticket the entire outgo was over 1250). Like in any  sleeper coach of a medium/fast trains, one has to be cautious while stepping in the bathroom. As for the tidy look and tight expenses, the train faulted on both. Huge serving of rice on three occasions gave ample opportunities to passengers to waste and whisper. No dearth of plain clothes rotaters and the one in the beginning when the train hadn't left Nizamuddin took umbrage when i posed to a third individual a query on whether water would be served. Plain clothes rotaters have been sapping the strength and patience. A life where they tap your every living room and give a handle to estate mafia to rob us of peace and sanity. Not a single day in the past 10 months have passed when the estate mafia has dismantled the peace and played with the innocence. Shame to those who give such irritants the freedom to play with city tranquility .These rotaters have come handy for construction estate mafia and the past ten months have illustrated that. What rotaters seem to suggest once this mafia would go they have amply supply of other mafias to give peace a beating.  

As for Duronto huge amount of rice and other vegetables are wasted.  Something could be done to correct that. Reaching Chennai and staying for three days were good tidings that could be essayed the other day.

Windows that i presumed would be closed in a train coach. The ride in a Duronto and the stations i went past

As i begin to write from a cafe

As i begin to write from a cafe placed on the first floor, the tea and the lasting benefits could not be underplayed. Perhaps the one from 821, anna salai tea centre seem to be the favourite outing given the considerable stay i had the previous year. Two days ago i left the national  capital with national perspiration yet to set in. But if one were to take to the wheels in the heart of the capital one would be soaked in sweat and preferring to bide time in sedentary lifestyle.

The ride from home to Nizamuddin Station could not be deemed as elaborate distance but the traffic spin could make it look exhaustive and encircling. No sooner we had hit the ring road, the boom the economy had provided for vehicles of all shapes to zoom  showed the course correction  that is long due. About 300 metres before AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) the traffic was thick and stagnant. Fewer vehicles had the inclination to move and those who had fittingly flaunted the honking-till-eternity pattern. Once on the flyover opposite the AIIMS, the traffic was smooth only to be met with another form of resistance near South Extension. If that was not enough the flyover near PGDAV college showed the reality of a car-breakdown, leading to a pile up crown. No one could hazard a guess on what the pile up was all about only to be unravelled  after you reached the point where the vehicle broke and the personnel trying to restart looking no bloke. 

During this set of travelling in a private transport, what the commuters can easily conclude is first, the never-ending urge of those to overtake armed with vehicles overweight; sight of no less than half-a -dozen  trying to set their cell in order while trying to drive and dream; cell conversation muted but not missing; those vehicles with three or more passengers trying to engage in a full throttle conversation as if this act they are going to miss it for a long time; and couples split between baggages conveying they are in for a long haul. By the time the Nizamuddin station was accessed all one could think of was starting early from your home and if you are subjected to long honking heat and those armed with overtaking sheet, give them the space they desire, not doing that you could be under fire.

Traffic in metros is bound to test you, the less you step out more you would be saving on patience and perseverance. You need to be in a better frame of mind if you are at the wheels; one floating in an indecisive boat may hand over the drive therapy to others. Driving and going in  a private transport once in a season is a nightmare, perhaps no one has the clue how to reset the traffic theme. Haggling on fare and being pushed from one corner to another ( packed to capacity buses) no doubt are the two headaches that you are able to keep away.    

A life led on saving is a life worth living

As i begin to write from a cyber cafe

As i begin to write from a cyber cafe in the proximity of vasant place market, the rationale offered by the vasant place market shop to not hand over the terminal may have a ringing logic to it. Strict compliance with "no surfing" seem to be the sum total of its operation and operational agenda was true for those whom the cyberwallah could trust and raise a toast.    SEarch for another cyber cafe took me to a locale that has not been too far from JNU and where majority could be seen holding a joint and no divise account. The visit to this locale was preceded by a ride on 727 which was packed to capacity given the low service and opposite to that a series of 724s, majority of them coming in airconditioned avatars, ringing the city blast.

National capital would be better served if green coloured DTC buses don't shrink in size and schedule as the red airconditioned have closed windows with some among them having the engine and the entire machine gasping for breadth. Similarly   some red coloured buses are driven rashly and here the drivers have to rework on their driving schedule rather let mishap become the norm.  Frequency of green colour buses would be even handy for those who don't have a green agenda. MOnths of December, January and February are past us and with sun radiating a sentiment that most cherish, the onset of a weather that diehards root for and those who least desire winter and wallet banter. THe three months were less therapeutic and less cheerful and if ever in the entire calendar there are days when people feel low and some try to fix the same through moisture glow, they can be traced to these months.

As for the national calendar, the three months gave appropriate excuses for some in the political class to raise the bogey of mid term polls with an intent some could be waylaid during elections with deep pocket-hole. Same mastery some developed in throwing in the air the formidable and favourable choices for the top post not realising the man to hog the limelight and the man to take the blame for political to economy ills coming as rains would be decided at the appropriate time and the one who would have the appropriate shine.

Three months could have given enough arsenal to the thought of bringing in political reforms coupled with the reforms in the law and order machinery. Majority of discrepancies and disassociation from reality emerges from the expansive template the political and  L&O class work against. Vacancies in either should be filled not driven by whims and fancies of others, more guided by ground considerations. If major political parties are able to reach a consensus that lower house seats where candidates of least acceptability won't be put before the voters, perhaps a beginning can be made. Similarly more than one from the family taking the political tag can be true for one term( exceptionally for two terms); it can't go on and on. If it has to happen let the other member take the independent route than party affiliation.

No party should encourage the tendency to convert chances to court success by taking the thugs on board; it is better to lose than to lose to a nation riding on the wave of muscular motor. Lose a pole but don't lose yourself to musclemen who radiate their strength when some pitch electoral tent and electoral rant. Shrink to a degree the discretionary quota of political class and on constituency development fund, a fair audit is a necessity. Once the members of the political class work against  limited options/resources, the message would go to the public that cleansing in the political sphere has begun.  And thereby the simmering discontent would defuse.

As for L & O department, the first sign to bring them to life is to make them independent. Make the L & O personnel right from the bottom to those holding high offices realise the salary they are getting is sufficient; you need not emulate what a private citizen does with a private prowess. Because for private citizen if he/she is not careful on what expansive template has been adhered, chances are freedom of fanaticism may not last long. In the lower echelons the salary may not be sufficient but things can be managed. Those in Upper echelons should desist from taking a raise and that in a way would lift the morale of those in the lower rank.More importantly the collection from top to bottom and vice versa in principle should be discouraged and those who hold the levers should be made to understand that never retain or transfer a personnel just because it could bring handsome dividends. REcruitment, retaining and transfer should have larger transparency and with no quid pro quo. Mushkil hai namunkin nahi

Those wishing to start a business or empower their base should believe in patience rather rooting for instant results which ultimately opens the door for greasing the palm and early greying of your hair.
  




       

As i begin to write some in the cyber cafe are deliberating on the need to have a cell that would be appropriate enough to tell their tale on when they could be put on sale  

New age money and how to guard youself