MEA 2010 Travels-1- Durgapur, Burnpur,Kolkata

MEA 2010 Travels-1- Durgapur, Burnpur,
> Kolkata
>
> In 2008 Mecon Executive Association's election I had
> filed nomination for the post of president and got around 30
> per cent votes in a straight contest with the incumbent
> president. I work as a doctor for this GOI undertaking where
> all executives are the embers of the MEA.
>
> When I filed nomination in 2008 I had undertaken a long
> journey covering Rourkela, Bhilai, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore,
> Visakhapattanam, Angul, Kolkata, Durgapur, Bokaro offices of
> MECOn and had gone to steel plant of Visakhapatanam inside
> to see how our employees work under constrains.
>
> Since in 2010 again I filed my nomination I decided to meet
> my voters.
>
> I am otherwise a well travelled person and have some links
> everywhere. Already I have covered around 7000 km and in
> next phase may be same distance will be covered in next
> week.
>
>
>
> This time my journey started with Durgapur named on the
> goddess Durga.
>
> I had been to Durgapur previously sometimes to meet my
> sister's son studing in the NIT there and to meet my
> sister, the daughter of my mother's sister whose husband
> works in the steel plant there.
>
>
>
> The train to Durgpur from Ranchi was late around 3 hours
> and I could get last minute reservation. The TTE was somehow
> impressed by me once he knew I was a relative of late
> Chandrakant Jha, an ideal person, station manger of
> Ranchi,always in dhoti.
>
> The TTE requested me to write for incresing coaches in
> Ranchi-Kamakhya express(which I wrote to authorities after
> my return ,along with restoration of old days of running and
> time earlier departure from Kamakhya end. While I was
> charginjg my mobile there, a semi-literate person from Jamui
> came to him for general tickets in Patliputra Express which
> was on platform and due to some hot exhanges with passengers
> the booking clerk had closed window. The TTE showed his
> inability, I asked him to lodge a complaint in the meantime
> window was opened, he was given three tickets for Jamui but
> the train had startyed and he had to refund ticket. The man
> again approached me but I had no paper for writing
> complaints. After my tours I had again complained on his
> behalf with some suggestions for security and more windows
> and also for some other trains like Jaynagar Express and
> Bhagalpur Express via Kiul as well as for the trial train to
> Jogbani during coming Puja vacation.
>
> I wonder if Railway authorities do heard some petitions but
> till all gazetted officers(of any department) are empowered
> to suspend such guilty employees of any department, the
> menace of corruption and rough appraoch in working will not
> be under control. Though I was a very high official I could
> not help that poor citizen of India who had to miss his
> train for no fault of his and also lost some money.
>
>
>
> When I woke up in the early morning it seemed that Durgapur
> had passed but no it was about to come. I became ready and
> after some minutes it was Durgapur. I came out. The city bus
> for A Zone was to come after sometime. I gazed to the
> antique railway engine and read lines written there with
> interest-
>
> "It huffed
>
> It puffed.
>
> It chugged."
>
> as engine made in 1907 worked for the Bankura/Bengal
> Damodar River Railway till 1996 with a maximum speed of 32
> km/h
>
> I had a memory of narrow guage rail travel to Laohardaga
> with British Simon Mortimer who had travelled almost all
> such routes of India and we are in a close contact. I have
> written some sensuous poems on her wedding with a Polsh
> beauty.
>
> The bus to A zone came and soon I was again near Nehru
> Stadium but the way to my sister's quarter was guided by
> a Telugu woman who was strolling on the road with her friend
> to reduce the weight.
>
> I was read and after some time I started for Ispat Bhavan
> changing bus at Prantika,
>
> I had been to that office two years back but this time I
> could meet G V Aruna who was working with me at Bangalore
> office and had his chmber adjacent to me. He was a Kannada
> lover whose 90+ father had written Anglo-Kannada Dictionary.
> Aruna introduced me to others as if I was a scholarly
> person.
>
> The MEA activist there was apprehensive whether in a
> triangular contest I would be winner. I suggested him to
> make up his mind watching the scene at the end when he may
> find positive inputes for me for I think double negatives
> would turn to a positive in my case.
>
> I took a bus for Asansol and changing for the city bus to
> Burnpur's Riverside again I was in the office of MECOn
> on 'Tee" Road- I could not know the genesis of TEE
> if not it was on 'T' of 'Tea."
>
> There were some persons and I was directed to go to the
> guest house but again I was directed by some persons to have
> a bus for Riverside Mecon Residency where I had visited 2
> years back too.
>
> In a rural, underdeveloped area our senior employees were
> also living and I could many when they were returning after
> lunch to factory. Younf Ravibhushan could recognise me and
> as usual I am enthused by young blood for any change.
>
> I was dropped b one of them to TEE Road office again where
> I had a long discussion on the form of God as per Hindu
> scriptures. I was dropped by a car to nearby Burnpur station
> for taking a train to Purulia. I could guess a boy as
> Maithil who turned to be a native from Mansi(Khagaria) and
> gave him some literature and banner for Mithila.
>
> One old person told me many things about the steel company
> there which was once owned by Martin Burn who had a manager
> named Luther and was later purchased by an Indian Biren
> Mukherjee whose wife Rani Mukherjee was a friend of Indira
> Gandhi(may be at Shantiniketan). Still the hospital of the
> IISCo is named on Rani Mukherjee.
>
> In y next visit to Burnpur again I had some refreshing
> memories- starting from Asansol itself which too has a small
> engine named Tilottama (means very beutiful ladies like
> little Til, the blackseed for oil)..This time a little girl
> though not like Tilottam was having an edge while talking
> over his classmate of class XII. She was going to Riverside
> and calculated sharply as to how 9 km will be that from
> Asansol as I was preparing myself to have a walk after
> meeting my voters at Riverside- again I could spott a native
> of Samastipur as khalasi of that bus who only could guide me
> correctly where MECON Residency was. Maithils are sharp and
> so the are at every stage-even among in Class IV employees
> one can find a Jha leader in Jharkhand Secretariat once a
> Deputy secretary had told me.
>
> I found whole atmosphere as hotche potch for our workers
> and made up my mind to work for their welfare through many
> innovative ways if I am elected. I told to a young person
> despite knowing that he campaigned for my opponent that I
> would redress his problem and so to other person while
> returning through that hostel as I know a president once
> elected remains president for all whether one had voted for
> him or not.
>
> Though despite two visits I could not meet all executives,
> I talked some on phone. Near to Ranchi people are more
> meshed in the politics of MEA there and at the same time are
> more perplexed over their difficult working condition.
>
> While going to Riverside there I witnessed a good hot
> exchange between driver and conductor over tiffin perk.
> Whole atmosphere is charged with such nuances. When I took
> off from the hostel at the T-crossing one car stopped and
> the driver gave me a lift for a tip and left me at Burnpur
> station. The window clerk asked the station- atrain
> Haldia-Asansol was waiting for me(in fact was stranded for a
> Bankura passenger crossing). I was at platform 7 and the
> monsoon had its knocking with my arrival(which usaully
> happens as I am born on a Trayodashi and if I feel too much
> hot and humid there will be b the Grace of God, rains even
> without clouds!).
>
>
>
> I went outside to search some food items but there was no
> shop. After some distance I found a mango vender and took
> three for Rs.6 only.
>
> I came inside station and observed some hot exchange on
> enquiry though I was not in queue knowing well my train
> Vanachal Express was after 2-3 hours.
>
> When I entered main gate and was willing to go for tape
> water, a young railway employee came out and I guessed that
> he was the employee who was irrtated on counter. Yes he was.
> I told him to maintain calm as our half of the countrymen
> can somehow sign and as migrant to other linguistic
> territory they are under pressure. I told him that if any
> passenger was putting his hands forcefully on the mike
> outsde still he should have maintained calm or would have
> asked security person and it was not proper for him to
> retaliate and said if I would have been his officer I would
> have made a reverse entry on his working though I remrked
> that his behaviour was out of frustration for that job
> though he might be more skilled which he accepted.
>
> That employee was in fact from Jagdishpur, Bhagalpur. After
> washing mangoes and eating again I saw him and asked his
> profile. He was MA(HIndi) and was planning for UPSC. I told
> him that such persons can hardly e successful for IAS if
> they would accept a low grade finding something in hand.
>
> And that was the cause of rush in all examinations. One
> should have estimation of his/her worth and persue for that.
> I told him the story of my Class XI days when father of my
> friend did not attest my marksheets knowing I was planning
> to apply for RMS Clerk rather he called me and asked if I
> had any financial problem where he could help me. He said
> joing a job will not make you prepare for higher goals in
> life.
>
>
>
>
>
> Asansol station is a big one and foot over bridges are made
> very beautifully designed(but without much thinking on
> stampede on rush). I watched many trains coming and going-
> all had rush, One boy going to Bokaro helped me though I got
> seats comfortably and returned Ranchi almost sleeping after
> one Bhimkay (obese) passenger from Katihar got down at
> Chandrapura. Owner of a shop, his daughter was about to join
> an engineering college at Chennai; his son was also studying
> there. The wife of that perspn was from Khagria who who was
> slim and I joked at her that she must have problems with him
> and so ask him not to eat more and walk upto Katihar from
> Gedabari daily(19 km).
>
> I got up at Ranchi and came to my residence, Shyamali, in
> fact named after."Shyamoli,", the residence of
> Gurude Rabidra at Shantiniketan,,a student of which Shilpa
> Bishwas had I seen in local train to Burddhaman.. Shilpa was
> from Chatgram(bangfladesh) and she told me that still there
> were large number of Hindus. I told her that I knew only
> Shilpa Shetty and shilpa Bindi. She was in a 10 year course
> of Ph D(after class 10) in Dabce and Music and was
> interested in Rabindra sageet. She was knowing Mastrada
> Suryasen and Preetilate Woddar. She had come some distance
> by flight and then by train and had entered in the same
> copartment (of vendors I had entered inknowingly) and that
> was a 'smoking cahmber' with biris and so I changed
> after two-three stations but she did not(may be provoked by
> venders not to with unknown man like me though she had also
> been agreed and I might have helped in transferring her
> baggages as I had little.
>
> The suburban train of Kolkata have plenty of food materials
> at low cost, I ate pani-malai particulrly, three times for
> Rs.3 each becuase it was a hot afternoon though I had banans
> and guava also and surely those were tasty particularly
> after a fast since morning(and after a well received
> lecture, less on MECON and more on Bengal and nation) at
> Kolkata where I was on my insisted questioning could have
> only one why to raise age 62 for retirement at the same
> stroke I was saying any organisation should have one third
> new faces and one third retained. He could not grasp that I
> told so for a committee , for age of retirement will be
> common to all,even youngers will have that benifit. This
> morning I listened on the BBC on this issue- it already 62
> in France and many other countries however some have 60 and
> 65 for females and males too!
>
> Though eastern part of offices are still like Bokaro,
> Rourkela to describe, here I take a break to meet my
> voters..