Friends,
It
is for these reasons that I always avoid going to the train reservation
center.
For certain reasons, I have always had a mild or strong altercation with
the
officer on the other side of the glass pane. I know there are some
latent
volatile qualities in me but interestingly, these people have the
potential and
ability to bring the best out of it. . This time it happened at counter
No 324
of Gomti Nagar railway station in Lucknow. The date was today, i.e.
01/06/2010,
time 2PM to 2.02PM. The purpose of visit- to get the ticket No
263-5180396 for Shramjeevi
Express from Lucknow to Patna for my wife Nutan for the date 30/05/2010
cancelled. My wife had got her travel cancelled at the last minute and
hence
the need for cancelling the ticket had arisen. I had been avoiding going
to get
the ticket cancelled for the last two days. It was a IInd sleeper ticket
costing Rs. 247 and hence all I expected was a return of nearly Rs. 120.
But
the pain and trouble of doing it seemed much more to me and hence the
avoidance. Today when I was coming back to my house through the railway
station, I suddenly thought I might as well get the ticket cancelled. I
went to
the station, filled the form and stood in the line. The moment I was
there, I
heard the announce cement from the official from the counter that since
it was
2PM hence there would be a fifteen minute break. I thought that I might
use the
opportunity to get a few points clarified because it was the case of a
ticket
being cancelled whose date had already passed. I would try to present
the
conversation I had with the Booking clerk as near to the real act as it
transpired there on the counter (just the way they show it on the TV
news or in
the cricket TV replay).
Me- “Sir, Wanted to ask you a question”
The Official- “Yes”
Me- “Can this ticket be cancelled now” (Hand him over the ticket)
Official- “No”
Me- “But why”
Official (bluntly)- “Because You (“tum” in Hindi) have already travelled
on
this ticket”
Me- “If this is the case, it will be shown in the computer. But the
ticket has
not been used.”
Official (even more bluntly)- “You have used the ticket. You are lying.”
(and
smiles broadly in a winning gesture)
Me- “But what is my use of speaking a lie.”
Official (giving a final verdict)- “No, I know u (tum) have used it and
have
come here with a false case.” (laughs more gregariously and
contemptuously)
Me (now having started losing my temper)- “Why don’t you use proper
language.”
This soon degenerates into a tirade of sorts and a volley of heated
arguments
are exchanged. It ends with the official threatening me with dire
physical
consequences and orders me to get away from there for my own well-being.
Now we come to Scene II of the episode. I
get shifted from the place but not very far away. I take out the diary
from
where I dial a few numbers to finally get the phone No of the Divisional
Railway Manager (DRM) of the NE Railway under whose jurisdiction this
official
comes. I talk to the DRM on the phone and make a verbal complaint. He
listens
patiently and says that he would take appropriate action. By now the
news of
this event has spread around. The in-charge of the booking department
and the
concerned official are filling jittery. One of them comes to me and
starts
talking in a very kind tone to come inside and get the matter sorted.
This time
I flatly refuse. A few people from the public, including some of those
who had similar
bad experience with the official, start answering on my behalf. they are
feeling emboldened and revenged. They ask me to write down a complaint
against
the official which I readily comply with. At least five of these persons
also
sign on the complaint. The booking staff, all the time, is trying to
make
peace, now that the table seemed to have turned.
Finally I came out of the railway station and went to the DRM office and
met
him personally. He directed me to meet one of his junior officers who
deals with
these matters. I have handed over the complaint to this lady officer and
am
eagerly waiting for the subsequent action.
In sum, it had been an eventful day, courtesy this Railway official. I
am sure,
all of you who had an opportunity and good luck to deal with government
officials, might be having an experience or two to share on these lines.
Amitabh Thakur,
IPS,
Currently at IIM Lucknow,
# 94155-34526
