Black-belt workers come to rescue![]()
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PTI![]() [ THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2005 ]
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MADGAON (Goa): Don't be surprised if you spot station masters on the Konkan railway route shrieking wildly and throwing punches in the air -- they are just practising their karate moves.
Konkan Railways boasts of a unique security system which totally eschews the use of Government Railway Police (GRP) and relies instead on the karate skills of its employees.
"We don't have GRP like in other railways. Around one-third of our 3,400 employees have received basic training in karate while twelve of them have qualified for the black belt grade," B Rajaram, Managing Director, Konkan Railways said.
The number of employees taking karate lessons seemed surprising till Rajaram revealed the reason why he had so many volunteers. "We have put in place a system of incentives and promotions for learning karate. Higher the grade attained by the employee, more the amount of incentive," Rajaram said.
Rajaram visualises a system wherein all station masters and passenger assistants are proficient in the martial art. He had mastered the art himself before embarking on his mission in 2002.
"Karate gives you the self-confidence to face
anybody," he added. After two years of training, twelve Black-belt grade employees have been appointed as Senior Vigilantes to provide a safe journey to passengers on Konkan Railway trains.
However, Konkan Railways' unique initiative does have its share of detractors.
"We don't feel any need for karate lessons. Even schools in Mumbai have now discontinued teaching karate. The so-called karate schools are fleecing students in the name of teaching," Arunendra Kumar, Divisional Railway Manager, Mumbai Central said. At Konkan Railways, karate lessons are imparted to willing employees irrespective of gender and work. Senior PR Manager Vaishali Patange who received her basic karate training at Belapur, said learning the martial art provided her with more than just self-defence skills. "Karate teaches a person to be more polite and to control emotions. Although I did not complete the entire course, I have noticed the change in myself and the way I react to certain situations," Patange said. Gopal Solanke, a Konkan engineer with a brown-belt, said that the karate lessons had kept him "mentally and physically fit" and helped him to always "think positive." In a country where a solitary
Olympic medal is cause for celebration, these karate lessons might just ensure some future medallists for India. In fact, the Konkan Railway 'Goju Ryu Karate Do' Association won 16 medals in national-level karate meets in the past three years. | |
Kuwait-Goa Tiatristanchi Sonstha Goan Welfare Society-hancea asrea khal machier hadtta "Konknni Machiek Noman" (songitan) Febrerachea 4 tarker 2005 at Gulf English School Auditorium, Kuwait featuring Miss Lorna, Comedian Domnic, Luis Bachan, John D'Silva, Meena Leitao, Menino Mario, Sabina, Francis de Tuem, Adolf, and Goa's ace trumpeter Agnelo Dias with 13 Kuwait-based musicians and scores of KGTS member artistes.
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