Railway Budget: Before who versus who, there was verse

Even as the differences emerge within the Trinamool Congress over railway fare hikes, there is one point where West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and present Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi do not differ – quoting from great souls especially Rabindranath Tagore.

In her Railway Budget 2011-12 on 25 February 2011, Banerjee quoted the great poet:

“In the coming decade, Indian Railways will continue to keep its service focus on the underprivileged and the poor, even as it expands its services for the more fortunate. I quote Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore:

‘Give me the strength never to disown the poor or bend my knees before insolent might.’”

Quoting the great Bengali poet, during his Budget speech today, Trivedi said:

“I had two very clear yet contrasting options - either to keep the railways in status quo mode with just incremental annual changes, or as the phrase goes, ‘bite the bullet’. The second option would involve going for a generational change with a focus on safety and inclusive growth to meet the aspirations of this great country in the next decade. I chose the generational change, inspired by Kabi Guru Rabindranath Tagore:

‘Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high.’”

Although the Trinamool duo failed to match the natural flair of former railway minister Lalu Prasad, their speeches were however filled with poetic references.

In the last Rail Budget, Banerjee said that the “railways deliver on their promises, (but) they are not good at publicity”.

“Hum Aah Bhee Karte Hain Toh Ho Jaate Hain Badnaam

Woh Katl Bhee Karte Hain Toh Charcha Nahi Hota”

She also referred to the famous patriotic song during her speech.

“koi sikh koi jaat maratha

koi gurkha koi madrasi

sarhad par marnevaala

har veer tha bhaaratvasi

jo shaheed hue hain unki

jara yad karo kurbani….”

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Winding up her speech last year, Banerjee said:

“Hamara Mushkil Daur Gujar Chuka Hai

Aur Hum Din-o-din Majboot Hote Jayenge”

(Tough times are now over and Railways,

will grow from strength to strength from here)

Before the fare war became ballistic outside Parliament today, Trivedi tried to follow the footsteps of his party chief Mamata Banerjee, at least in verse.

Saluting the contribution of everyone in the railway family to the PSU, the minister dedicated all success to the all from top to bottom in the railway ladder. “I bow and salute your dedication,” he said.

The railway minister also stressed upon generational change in terms of safety and modernisation of infrastructure. Putting it in verse, the minister said only the lines on the hands cannot decide life, there should be some effort from human beings as well.

“I also have a clearer perspective of what railways mean to the common man and how the railways have been a true catalyst of integration. Just as we cannot imagine India without Himalayas we cannot imagine India without the holy river Ganga. Similarly we cannot imagine India without Indian Railways.” The minister in a recitation said that railways run without caring for caste and creed, considering everyone as own and connecting every nook and corner of the country.

Congratulating the Railways for the completion of the 11 km long tunnel through Pir Panjal Mountain Range, the minister said that railways can even go through mountains for connectivity.

Referring to insufficiency of funds, the minister said, “The ‘Excess’ (from the last fiscal) being inadequate to meet requirements of safety related works financed through Development Fund, a loan of Rs 3,000 crore has been extended by Ministry of Finance. The Operating Ratio of the railways is also estimated now to be 95.0% as against the budgeted target of 91.1%.”

Trivedi went to a poetic mode to impress upon parliamentarians, the serious fiscal deficit plaguing the railways.

Trivedi said that due to rise in road transport people are increasingly preferring railways putting the system under severe stress. “…a large chunk of short distance passenger traffic has got diverted from road to rail, creating additional pressure on rail infrastructure”’ he said. The minister said that the railway is tired of the ever-increasing traffic. Paraphrasing what he meant in the verse below, Trivedi appealed to all to support the railways for sustaining the institution.

Before the minister ended his speech, he sought to unite the railways with the development of the country and well-being of the common man. Through a verse, he said that the railways need some care and love for all-round prosperity.