JOURNEYS & JOURNEYS – 7

A Pleasant travel in RMS compartment

During 1990s a good number of struggles were organised by the Confederation of CG Employees as also NFPE and NFTE. It was a practice to send office-bearers  from Central Head Quarters, Delhi to the states to organise the struggles. Com. Des Raj Sharma, then Dy. General Secretary, Postmen & Class IV union and I were allotted to tour Punjab Circle. I was happy that there was good company.

The plan was to go directly to Amritsar, the last point, and then return to cities Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Chandigarh one after another. Desh Raj Sharma was a sincere and dedicated leader who was also very hard-working. He gave excellent assistance to Com. K.Adinarayana, then General Secretary, P.IV.

Deshraj told me not to worry about travel arrangements; he will do whatever is required. ‘You be at the Delhi railway station in time’, he said. I was in the station with bag etc. sufficiently early, as is my usual habit. Deshraj reached in time and the train also arrived. He took me to the RMS compartment. There used to be RMS compartments in all important trains to carry the postal articles and also to sort them from the train itself and deliver at the concerned stations. It was very hard work. In some RMS compartments there will be sleeping berths for the off duty officials to rest. It was early morning and we sat discussing union matters, also with the RMS staff. They liked the presence of two All India leaders with whom they can talk and know the latest developments.

I asked Deshraj why travel in RMS compartment? He told me that ‘you do not know the rush in the train going to Amritsar, the city of Golden Temple, to which place  there will be large number of passengers.’

In whichever station the train was stopping, a good number of postal luggage and articles were being loaded. After some time, the space was full and we had to sit on the postal bags.  At Ludhiana, which is a big manufacturing city of woolen clothes, sports articles, cycles etc. luggage after luggage were being loaded. We had no place to sit except on top of mail  bags, our heads almost touching the roof of the compartment. The RMS staff was also in difficulty, but it is their duty to which they were adjusted to. I was worried, but Desh Raj was smiling. ‘You have to learn  travelling during rush hours’, he said.

Somehow we reached Amritsar and got down. There was a very good meeting. It was the same in other cities also.

When returning to Delhi, I insisted that henceforth we will travel only in the regular compartments and not in RMS compartments.  He agreed.

V.A.N.Namboodiri  15.10.2024