The Indian Railways is the single largest employer in India and supposedly the fourth largest in the world. So, one can imagine the size of this organisation. Heading this humongous establishment as the Railways Minister is no joke, and one would think that such a person will have his or her hands full, with no time for anything else. But the story today seems to be quite different.
If I were the Minister for Railways, my job would occupy my full attention. Sure, work in my constituency would take up much of my time (after all I would like to be voted back to power), but I would make sure that I have professionals running the organisation just like one of my predecessors, Shri Lalu Prasad Yadav. It is said that the one quality of his, which ensured that the Indian Railways did well during his tenure as Railways Minister, was the autonomy he granted to his officials.
Though introducing new trains, convenient routes in my home state would surely help me earn brownie points with my electorate, I would be fully aware that such steps would be meaningless without the necessary infrastructure in place. Right now, Indian Railways falls woefully short on this front. As more and more trains are introduced without corresponding upgradation in safety equipment and additional man-power, accidents like the recent Sainthia mishap will continue to happen. Yes, the public wants convenience, but not at the cost of their lives.
Unlike the current Railways Minister, Ms. Mamata Banerjee, I would attend my office at Rail Bhavan, New Delhi as often as I could. After all, the presence of the boss inspires the hard-working and makes the shirkers put in at least some effort.
As an employer, the Railways have a responsibility not only to the customers, but also to the employees. I would keep employee welfare in mind and ensure that the railway staff do not have excess work load. With new trains introduced, it often happens that the additional work falls on the heads of the existing employees. This will stress them out and safety will be compromised, especially in the case of employees like loco-pilots (train drivers) who need to be alert all the time.
I would also be well aware of the fact that heading a prestigious ministry like the Railways is a double-edged sword. I would be popular when new trains were introduced or train fares were reduced, but a couple of accidents and my image would be tarnished. My aim would be neither to enter the record books like Mr. Yadav for turning around the loss-making Indian Railways nor be like Ms. Banerjee who is in danger of making a record herself with an unenviable 200 accidents, 400 deaths and 600 injuries in her tenure of 14 months. My only goals would be safety, convenience and viability in that order.
And God forbid, if untoward incidents occurred, whether real accidents, Maoist attacks or political vendettas, I would not dither from resigning. I would try my very best to follow the footsteps of my illustrious predecessor, Mr. Lal Bahadur Shastri who resigned owning moral responsibility when a railway accident occurred. It would surely be difficult to emulate an upright person like him. They don’t make people like him anymore.
Author: Pratibha Shenoy (Basavanagudi, Bengaluru)
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