Shame on the Indian Railway

From                                                                                                   To

A study-tour-group of 22 pupils and                                               Smt. Mamatha Banerji

5 accompanying teachers                                                                Minister

St. Augustin's school                                                                        Indian Railway

Peringulam P.O.                                                                                New Delhi                     

Kottayam Dt.,

Kerala - 686582                                                                                  26.04.2011

           

                                                                                                           

             

Respected Madam,

We, 22 pupils of St. Augustin’s School, Peringulam and five teachers planned to conduct a study tour covering Delhi and Jalandhar, starting on the 19^th of April 2011. With prior sanction from the Southern Railway, the kids got tickets at concession rates, booked from Kottayam to Jalandhar and the return journey on the 24^th of April from Jalandhar to reach Kottayam on the 26^th. 

We started off, catching the Kerala Express (Train Nr. 12625), at 2:00 p.m. at Kottayam on the 19th,  to reach Jalandhar on the 21^st of April.  But something unfortunate happened on the way. Three of the kids got sick, one of them with serious breathing problem. Whatever medicine we had on hand didn’t suffice. Already at Nagapur we had approached the security, as the superintendent was absent, to call a physician to come to our aid. He said it was not possible in the train, but we had to seek it outside. So we were forced to break the journey at Agra at around 11:00 am to see a doctor.

As we were ready to proceed further at 13:30, we went to the station master to check if we needed to buy new tickets, as we’d  broken the journey. As he learned that we were continuing to travel on the same day mentioned on the tickets, though after a short break, he consented us to use the same tickets we had. Accordingly we caught the Vishakapatnam-Nizamuddin, train nr. 12807 at 14:00. Because of the unexpected loss of time, we cancelled our trip to Jalandhar.     

We were happy as the TT in this train also was satisfied with our travel documents. But then all of a sudden, we were circled by a three-men-squad in white uniforms asking to see the tickets. Our explanations about the station master as well as the TT finding them alright were turned off and they threatened to fine us over thirteen thousand rupees for violation of the rules. As we were not ready nor able to come up with the amount, nor understood what the violation was, they came down to ten thousand and five hundred rupees.  As we still defended ourselves and requested them to call the station master at Agra, which they refused to do, they finally gave us three receipts .- each showing Rs. 720.- fare Agra-Delhi and Rs. 1'500.- excess fare. That amounted to a total of Rs. 6660.- How they calculated it is not clear at all. The number of passengers fined were shown as 6 on each sheet, though we were 22 in total. As we hesitated to sign them, they threatened to compel us to break off our journey and send the leader of the group to jail. The kids were naturally shocked by all this rude and arrogant behaviour of the so called railway squad. Most of the kids were boarding a train for the first time in their life, and the first impression they got of the Indian Railway was so devastating, indeed. Those who have seen it in any civilized part of the world around us know for sure, that no personnel of any public transport system treat the passengers, especially wehn it deals with school kids, with such lack of manners as in our country. And in writing the fine, they totally forgot that the kids were travelling on concession tickets. This is a real shame on all concerned.

We strongly suspect this blitz action to be a prearranged coup, perhaps with the knowledge of the afore said station master of Agra. How could they otherwise spot us with such precision? We beg the higher authorities to make an enquiry and reinstate our rights, doing the needful to refund to us the amount collected from us through a round about, mean and very suspicious manner. We had acted honestly all through.

Attached herewith please find a copy of all the travel documents, including the unused tickets from Delhi to Jalandhar and back, the receipts of the heavy fine so brutally imposed on us, as well as proof of seeking help from the RMO at Ernakulam, on our way back, as the situation of one of the sick kids got worse. Strangely enough, neither of the doctors we consulted at Agra and Delhi obliged us with giving a receipt for the money paid to them for consultation and medicine. Both of them must have been fakes, too!

Yours respectfully,

The  teachers and the pupils of

St. Augustin’s School

Peringulam. Kerala – 686582

Names and signatures:

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