Yesterday I, along with my wife, got the opportunity to visit the International Trade Fair at the Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. Since it was the second day after the Fair was opened, there was not much rush, as it used to be. In the same way, being the first few days all the pavilions have not been fully arranged also. These will be done without delay.
We visited some state pavilions including that of Kerala. There are a lot of exhibits to see, and if one wants to purchase, so many useful things are also there. We saw some families with three – four bags full of purchases.
There are a lot of PSUs, which had put their stalls. Government Departments are also participating. I went to the Railways Pavilion. Though not very big, the Railways have arranged a good records of their 160 years of functioning, the various changes that have taken place, the kind of engines that have been used, the special railway lines and coaches of Nilgiris, Shimla, J and K etc. etc.
The biggest service and industry sector in India employing the maximum number of workers, the Railways had covered miles after miles after it started running first in the Great Indian Peninsula Railway from Bori Bunder (present Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus) to Thane on 16th April 1853. Railways claim that it carries one billion tons of freight and 830 crores passengers annually to various destinations. And the lakhs of workers doing their duty 24 hours of the day and night!
All of a sudden, I thought about the continuous railway journeys that I had undertaken for about 10-15 years after I reached Delhi as the President and then General Secretary of the AITE Union Class III and then the BSNL Employees Union. Almost 15 to 20 days I was travelling in the train. Sometimes, it will be in A/C III Tier, but mostly it was sleeper or ordinary compartment, with out reservation. I remember many times, when along with other union comrades, we had to sit on the floor of the compartment, since no seat was available and there was so much rush. The journeys used to be one day, two days or even three days according to the distance. Since the one pointed agenda was only to meet workers and organise the union, difficulties were no barrier. It was a crusade for the workers. I still feel inspired to remember that how our comrades through out the country supported us and showed their love and affection with out any limit. I will write in detail on this at a later date.Thanks the exhibition for reminding all these.
Hearty Congratulations to the Indian Railways that connect the entire nation together!
