The Garib Rath (poor man's chariot) is Laloo Prasad Yadav's gift to the poor of India. It's a chance for them to travel in air conditioned luxury (and travel fast). The fares on this train are almost half as compared to the fares on other trains, and they take the same time as a Rajdhani traveling on the same route. A very well intentioned gift, considering the utility to the public, and the votes that he stands to gain.
I recently traveled Bombay to Delhi in the chair car on the Garib Rath. And although current circumstances make me technically garib, I am by no means so. Not surprisingly, none of my co-passengers fell in the garib bracket either. In a country where per capita income is Rs.23222 (2006 figures) and over 25% of the people live below the poverty line (the poverty line is an income of approximately Rs.500 a month, which is the cost of the ticket i bought!), this train cannot qualify to be called the Garib Rath.
Not faulting the fact that this is an excellent service that could be used by people in the relatively lower income bracket, there is no way anyone really garib can use it!!!
The train itself is basic. The chair car I took is horribly cramped for shoulder space, leg space, and space of any kind. The seats do not recline, and the only way you can get any real sleep is to get a dose of valium. The upshot is a lively trip with everyone awake, and joking about the train and the facilities.
The low fares made sure that I got entertaining and eclectic travel companions. My companions included a retired wrestler, a middle aged civil engineer, couple of doctors, couple of small-town-small-business owners, and more. And the conversation included discussions on the medicine man's profession, Mayawati's political strategy, the Ram Setu controversy, and the Kashmir problem. A complete revelation for me was the fact that most people are knowledgeable about a lot of stuff, and there are radicals and liberals alike in the general populace! In short, an uncomfortable but entertaining journey to get me to Delhi in double quick time. Isiliye ...
Jab tak rahega samose mein alu, Tak tak rahega railways mein Lalu!
I recently traveled Bombay to Delhi in the chair car on the Garib Rath. And although current circumstances make me technically garib, I am by no means so. Not surprisingly, none of my co-passengers fell in the garib bracket either. In a country where per capita income is Rs.23222 (2006 figures) and over 25% of the people live below the poverty line (the poverty line is an income of approximately Rs.500 a month, which is the cost of the ticket i bought!), this train cannot qualify to be called the Garib Rath.
Not faulting the fact that this is an excellent service that could be used by people in the relatively lower income bracket, there is no way anyone really garib can use it!!!
The train itself is basic. The chair car I took is horribly cramped for shoulder space, leg space, and space of any kind. The seats do not recline, and the only way you can get any real sleep is to get a dose of valium. The upshot is a lively trip with everyone awake, and joking about the train and the facilities.
The low fares made sure that I got entertaining and eclectic travel companions. My companions included a retired wrestler, a middle aged civil engineer, couple of doctors, couple of small-town-small-business owners, and more. And the conversation included discussions on the medicine man's profession, Mayawati's political strategy, the Ram Setu controversy, and the Kashmir problem. A complete revelation for me was the fact that most people are knowledgeable about a lot of stuff, and there are radicals and liberals alike in the general populace! In short, an uncomfortable but entertaining journey to get me to Delhi in double quick time. Isiliye ...
Jab tak rahega samose mein alu, Tak tak rahega railways mein Lalu!
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