Thus Spoke Saraswati : Saraswati had a new theory for Railways ills

Written by | August 21, 2017 | 0 | Total Views: 6,151

 

 

           Thus Spoke Saraswati : Saraswati had a new theory for Railways ills
                                                                                                  Rajiv Upadhyayrp_RKU-150x150.jpg
  • railway accidentIt was 14 April’ 2065. It was the worst day for Indian Railways. The
    great Indian Railways born on the same day was being obliterated from India
    on its 200th birthday.Frenzied crowds were celebrating the death of Indian
    Railway in streets. National TV gave live coverage to the last rail of Indian
    Railway being ceremoniously dumped in Arabian sea at Bombay. Parliament
    met in a special midnight session which was termed as “Freedom from
    Railways” Session, The Prime Minister in his midnight speech in the
    parliament hailed the masses for destroying the last symbol of British Raj, the
    scourge of the nation, the Indian Railways.
    Five thousand kilometers away, in a sleepy lane of London, the great
    great grand son of Clive could not understand how the great organization
    built by his forefather met this end. Since Hinduism had become very
    common in Britain, he went to the temple of goddess Saraswati.
    “Mother”, he asked reverently, “please tell how such a great
    organization came to such a sad end’?
    Saraswathi smiled at her “Videshi Bhakt” and asked him to narrate the
    incidents in detail.
    Mother it all began six months back when Rajdhani Express running at
    full speed collided head on with a goods train carrying nuclear missiles over
    the old Yamuna Bridge. The bridge broke. Both the trains fell in the river.
    The nuclear blast killed a million people. Yamuna water got polluted by the
    nuclear fall out. People all along the Yamuna and Ganga banks up to Dacca
    fell sick. Two hundred MP’s traveling in Rajdhani Express died. Having thus
    lost the majority, the government fell. In the mayhem that followed, the
    crowd destroyed all railway stations. Railway colonies were burnt. In the
    worst communal riots, Railwaymen were killed by thousands. People
    collected railwaymen’s skulls as trophies. Bhai Singh who had collected two
    hundred such skulls was made the Prime Minister of the country.
    Saraswati was intrigued. She asked, “Didn’t they take any precautions
    to prevent such disasters?
    They did mother. In the year 2020, Indian Railway made a rule that in
    the Division where any accident took place; all the divisional officers were
    automatically removed from service. But by the year 2040 this punishment
    became inadequate. So imprisonment began in 2045. In the year 2060 the
  • whole Railway Board was executed summarily after a head on collision in
    which 600 people died.
    “Did such an exemplary punishment, not have a salutary effect on the
    organization? Why did such a disaster occur again then” asked Saraswati?
    No mother, every time they increased the punishment the performance
    deteriorated. Because all the good and influential people remained away from
    safety jobs. Only the meek, helpless and good for nothing people were posted
    in train operation related posts. Initiative and drive got lost totally. People
    only tried to protect themselves. Punishments became merely occupational
    hazards like road accidents. An enterprising person started an insurance
    scheme in which the lifelong salary was insured for 10 percent premium,
    Corruption increased by twenty percent to pay this premium.
    But the summary executions of all Board Members should have helped,
    asked Saraswati.
    No that too didn’t work. Because actually the switch man who caused
    the accident was related to the Home Minister. He convinced the Home
    Minister that the responsibility must be fixed at the highest level. In fact the
    Secretary, Railway Board saved his life by marrying his daughter to his son.
    After this, the officers too joined Union which had all the authority but
    no responsibility.
    “Finally what caused the nuclear disaster”, asked Saraswati.
    Mother, the rail switch before the bridge as well as the interlocking
    relays had become defective. No one complained but everyone knew this had
    become the social norm after executions. There was a small derailment on
    the up line. To cover it up all trains were taken on down line through a
    crossing. At midnight after duty change the new cabinman did not know
    these informal precautions, thus causing the collision.
    So now tell me why Britishers pampered the railway officers who did so
    little work in those days. They did not inspect every rake, point and bridge
    every week as required now, yet things were much better. They were not
    selected on the present point rating system and yet much better people
    reached the top.
    Mother, they were not pampered. They were required to set values of
    highest integrity and professionalism. We realized that if we treated people as
    “a thing special” they behaved as something special. If we treated them like
    khalasis they behaved like khalasis. We made institutions out of our officers.
  • They spent life time checking and setting up systems that worked and not
    inspecting every inch of railways, every week.
    So what would your forefathers have done to get ‘Safety’, asked
    Saraswati.
    “That would not have been a problem mother”. A good management
    can always get what it wants. It is only a confused management, which want
    safety first but loading at any cost or safety first but low operating ratio at
    any cost or safety first but gauge conversion or electrification at any cost, that
    cannot get safety, replied Clive’s great great grand son.
    “And what would have you done if you knew that it was the
    switchman’s mistake that blew out the city of Delhi. Would you not have
    executed, the whole Railway Board summarily?, asked Saraswati.
    No mother, Leaders should have large shoulders. No organization or
    country becomes great by witch hunting. We selected and groomed officers
    who could take immense pleasure but remained committed to their ideals and
    professional judgement. Our leaders could own up mistakes. They created
    public opinion and did not follow it out of fear. Our people were far more
    responsible.
    “Pygmies stymie the people they lead”, replied Clive’s great great grand
    son.

    “So mother why did the Indian Railway die?” he asked”.

    “But   surely   someone   could   have   raised   his   voice   and   saved   the

    railways. Clive’s progeny could not understand the cowardice of intelligential

    of this professed great nation. Why they always crawled when merely asked

    to bend? Why were the pygmies allowed to reach the top?

    Mother don’t you think we were better rulers than your own people’,

    “Clive’s great great grandson could not hide the glee in his eyes”.

    ‘Son, a nation is only a product of its culture. Boldness, large vision

    and   striving   for   excellence   is   not   more   in   our   culture.     “The   rot   is   all

    pervasive. IR in fact was the best organization. Others died much earlier. We

    probably need another Avtar. Saraswati closed her eyes painfully as Clive’s

    progeny left fully satisfied

Filed in: Articles
Written by | August 21, 2017 | 0 | Total Views: 6,152

No comments yet.

Leave a Reply