Ulta Pulta
Safety saves
Jaspal Bhatti

I was at the Delhi Railway Station to board a train to Chandigarh. Seeing the terrible rush on all platforms my daughter asked, "Has something happened in Delhi? It looks everybody is leaving Delhi."

I said it was the usual rush as everyday loads and loads of people travel. She said, "I could never imagine that we Indians are so fond of travelling." I said, "Rabu, most of us don’t travel for fun and holidaying, we travel because we have to. Sometimes people travel to attend marriages, or even to attend to attend funerals or they are going on professional tours".

When we boarded the train she asked me what, according to me, was the safest mode of travel in India? I said, "I think air travel is the safest, because once the plane takes off, it is not disturbed by rasta-roko agitators." Suddenly our train slowed down and we were told that one of the engines had failed, but the engineer was carrying on at half power.

After another few kilometers down the line, the second engine also broke down, and the train came to a dead stop. The engineer to make the following announcement: "Ladies and gentlemen, I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that both engines have failed, and we will be stranded here for some time. The good news is that you opted to take the train and not to fly."

HOME