Fifty-six-year-old S. Venugopal practices at the Madras High Court, 52-year-old S. Kumarakrishnan is a senior manager at a private security agency in Mint, 39-old D. Devendrakumar works at a private shipping agency in Broadway. All these years, the only thing common between the three is that they have been travelling in the first class compartment on the same route every day to office and back home.
Now, the trio have one more thing in common: they have united for getting a spacious first class compartment in the suburban train between Chennai Beach and Arakkonam route on the west line.
They carried out the campaign without shouting any slogans against the Southern Railway nor did they organise awareness campaigns among commuters. Instead, on May 3, they simply pulled the emergency chain in the first class compartment at Villivakkam. This created a storm at the railway station.
They found many supporters, including women commuters, for their daring act.
“How long can we fight for a space in the lone first-class compartment. We are charged higher, but denied the basic right of adequate seating in the compartment,” said Venugopal.
The sudden protest took Railway officials and Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel posted at Villivakkam by surprise. They tried to pacify the commuters but the unrelenting passengers stuck to their ground making it clear that their problem could not be brushed aside.
“Everyone supported us in whatever way they could, including signature campaign for increasing the seats in the first class compartment. The support from other commuters is a reflection of their anger against the railway officials,” said Kumarakrishnan, who has been travelling by train between Thirunendrur near Pattabiram to Beach for the past 17 years.
Subsequently, a series of complaints have been filed with the local railway officials at Villivakkam and with the senior officials at the Southern Railway’s headquarters in the city.
A group of commuters led by the trio had even met senior railway officials including G. Gayatri, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager (Chennai Division) of the Southern Railway. The police too are said to have pitched in, writing to their higher officials on the need to increase the seats stating that over-crowding creates law and order problems. “The first class compartment of the suburban train on the route is small and can accommodate only a few commuters. If the problem persists, we cannot pacify the agitated commuters” said an RPF police officer.
Railway officials said that efforts would be taken to address the problems of the commuters soon.
