“Train politics” of the Manmohan Singh-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government failed to enthuse the people of the valley with protests and a complete shutdown (civil curfew) announced by the “separatists coordination committee” greeting the dignitaries from Delhi.
The Prime Minister, flanked by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, J&K Governor N. N. Vohra, former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and member of Parliament Mehbooba Mufti, flagged off the luminous red DEMU train at 10 am. The enthusiasm that was seen during the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus flag- off more than a year ago was missing.
Coming just ahead of the announcement of the assembly elections and following the almost unending protests triggered by the Amarnath land transfer issue, the train flag-off is seen more symbolic than one which would herald economic or socio-political benefits to the valley.
While the railway minister described the starting of the train service between Rajwansher and Anantnag, passing through Srinagar, a major achievement for the state, the commoners here are least excited about the prospect of this train journey.
The politics behind the sudden flag-off of the DEMU train was much visible throughout the city and more so outside the “Srinagar railway station”.
The missing “road” outside the Srinagar or Nowgam station, spoke of the lack of enthusiasm in the local administration towards starting the rail service. While efforts were made to spruce up the railway station for the flag-off, the kilometre-long road outside the station was still to be
coated.
The approach road from the main bypass towards the Nowgam Station is not motorable. The security, not only along the route but also at the station, is a major deterrent for anyone looking to board the train.
The Prime Minister and other dignitaries would have missed the state of the road outside the station as they landed bang next to the station by choppers.
Railway officials here blame the local administration for the poor state of the road the upkeep of which is with the state administration. This apart, it would take a long time and a lot of persistence from the Northern Railway to ensure that the train service on this route is a success.
The locals here feel that till such time the train service is not linked to Udhampur in Jammu, which would take some time as work on the longest tunnel on the route is still to be completed, it would not be a success. For that would bring economic relief to the valley and also bring it closer to the national mainstream.
“Travelling on the DEMU would not be convenient,” said Arshid Ahmed, a local taxi driver. He pointed out that travelling by road would be less time-consuming and more comfortable.
Said Khaled Mohammed, a student: “Why would I take a train to Anantnag from here when I can reach there in about an hour via road?” Going through the security drill at the station before boarding the train and then being stranded at the station for unavailability of connecting transport is not for me,” he said.
“It’s a train to nowhere,” said Maqbool Ahmed, a local vendor. It is a clear effort by the Centre to reach out to the people of the state, who have been protesting over the right to self-determination. But it would be of no use.”
The railway line has been under construction since 1994 and since then a number of deadlines have been set for the work to be completed on the 148 km stretch of which 119 km is in Kashmir. In July 2002, the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited the state and declared it as a project of national importance and set August 15, 2007 as the deadline.
Although that deadline was also missed, the flagging off the train would put on track the dream of former Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir Pratap Singh, who is 1892 had proposed a rail line to link Kashmir to Jammu.
