Railway Budget- populist or reformist?

Mamata Banerjee

The Indian Rail Budget of 2011 has been announced by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee and as always there have been lots of ifs and buts about it. While the ally congress (the Prime Minister too) has hailed the budget has a common man’s, opposition CPIM was quick to declare it as populist one in the press conference. As always, this year too there has been lots of expectations about it as the railways form an integral part of the country. Let’s put the budget on an ‘aam aadmi’ weight balance.

Before making any measurements about the budget, let’s bring into the fact that Miss Banerjee is about to face the biggest challenge of her life, ousting the left from West Bengal and bring it that ‘we shall change’ factor. As such it was expected that her state would be a bit more gainer than others in the budget. Well, everyone looks after his or her state and here Mamata too was absolutely right.  At least, this much of gratefulness and faithfulness we should expect from politicians and ministers.

To keep intact the populist factor, there was no fare increase (rather no decrease too). Mamata predecessor Lalu Prasad Yadav had started this process and she too seems to like it well enough. In India, such steps can really earn you kudos. Our passengers don’t mind the under satisfactory rail services, but are too apprehensive to spend a penny more for getting better facilities. Doing honors to this sentiment, the minister said “no price hike”.

More trains, more toilets, more stations and more computers in stations: seems to be a big agenda in this rail budget. To lure those who are working, new Karmabhoomi trains and for our mothers, sisters and wives- more Matribhoomi trains (forget the ill equipped services which may make these trains a harrowing experience for women). And yes more electrification of train tracks- again a reminder that a major part of India still needs to be electrified even in this 21^st century.

A good thing about this rail budget is that impetus has been given to business. A politician who had once vehemently resisted the Singur Plant and had driven the Tatas out is now stressing on more business through rail. The result – a metro coach factory in Singur (the same place where she had once acted anti-business, a diesel locomotive plant in Manipur, a bridge factory in Kashmir, etc etc. No doubt a very noble step, but remains to be seen the execution and implementation factor.

Another impressive thing about the budget is its stress on tourism. Perhaps this is the first time where a rail minister has given so much importance on railway share in tourism and has realised the fact that our railways play a big role in making “Incredible India” really incredible. New tourist trains named ‘Bharatpeeth’ have been introduced; trains with museums have been introduced and plans are there even to set up railway hotels. If these are done properly, Indian tourism will get a big fillip and will also add to the railway’s coffers. Indeed a great and appreciative step.

So in a nutshell, the railway budget 2011 can get an even balance. It’s a 50:50 proposition and remains to be seen how much it will be implemented, once the rail minister gets to the seta of Chief Minister (that’s what she is hoping for at least).

Peace can be the answer to non-insurgency

The other day I was reading an interesting article in a newspaper, which described and analyzed the sweeping changes that are gradually taking place in Manipur and other places in the North East. The report highlighted how the army along with some NGOs and the local administration has started developmental activities, which in fact has been a significant factor towards bringing peace in the insurgent prone state and other areas. Gone are those days of gun battles, bloodsheds and dead bodies. Manipur has started seeing a new dawn, thanks to the overall and unanimous support of the civic administration and the army. Well, after reading this report, it made me wonder, what if this idea is implemented across the whole country as an alternative yet constructive way to end terrorism. 

Well, the first thing that needs to be done is to teach, but not preach. It’s always been a tendency of the government to dictate and use force to combat any insurgency problem, without in fact trying to delve deep into the matter and end the cause which created it. Had the government done that, Maoist troubles would not have ever broken out or the demand for Telengana would not have been made. Anyways, better late than never and now our administration can really act positive to end such troubles. Using guns to frighten can do nothing but only accumulate hatred. Only by knowing and judging the sentiments of the people can a country succeed, or else it will lead to civil war, sooner or later.

The Manipur strategy can really be a great example, to be followed else where. There, you have the army and forces that have joined hands with the administration to undertake developmental activities. Starting from building roads to organizing free medical check ups, a wide range of positive steps are being taken to instill confidence and trust on the government. In fact, rehabilitation programs have also been started for the surrendered insurgents, who are now leading a comfortable life with good jobs in the government sectors. The same strategies can be undertaken in other tension prone places to promote and bring that atmosphere of peace, trustworthiness and brotherhood between the government and common people.

Of course our politicians have to be honest enough and support such initiatives and only then such initiatives can be successful. A hyperbolic statement, but then if the armed forces can, our bureaucrats and ministers can also do their bit to make the nation a better and peaceful place.

The road to peace lies in the government’s hands and unless they act, nothing can improve. Development, not bullets is the answer!