RYA Holds Country-Wide Protests Against Privatisation of Railways
Railways is the lifeline of the Indian people, and is the means of livelihood for lakhs of people, but also carries the dreams of crores of citizens. Railways enables thousands of workers go in search of jobs, for students to avail education and appear for exams, for patients to avail healthcare, etc.
However, the Modi Government has stopped many trains during the covid lockdown. When trains resumed their service, the number of ac coaches were increased, whereas general and non-ac sleeper coaches were reduced, and at the same time the passenger fare was also increased. This policy of the Central Government wreaked havoc on the lives of common citizens.
Indian Railways is the largest rail network in the world, and apart from providing travel service, it provides employment to lakhs of youth. Every year about 30,000 to 40,000 recruitments would take place in railways. However, for the past decade, the Modi Government has been sitting on these appointments. The government is recklessly making contractual appointments and keeping permanent posts vacant. In the past few years, many major railway accidents have taken place with hundreds of passengers losing their lives. This is due to the acute shortage of staff in signal/security related work. The staff are overburdened with work and are working 14 hours a day. The government should stop playing with the lives of citizens and immediately fill all vacant posts in railways.
RYA held nation-wide protest and made the following demands:
Railways provides connectivity for villages and small towns to big cities, where migrant workers, students and patients utilize the services the most. The government’s move to increase the passenger fares, increase the number of ac coaches and reduce the general compartment and non-ac coaches has affected common citizens considerably. Overcrowding in trains, travelling by standing, lack of access to toilets is inhuman and a violation of right to live with dignity granted by our Constitution. Therefore, the number of general coaches should be increased, minimum seats should be guaranteed for long distance travel, and passenger fares should be reduced.
Increasing accidents have endangered lives of the people. Safety standards should be restored, all vacant posts must be filled immediately.
Modi government has put up railways for sale, including railway stations, routes, trains, stadiums, etc. It is seen that wherever privatization has taken place, everything from platform tickets to passenger fares has been increased. Such sale of railways must be stopped.
The reduced public facilities in railways must be restored, along with the discount in tickets for senior citizens and people with disabilities.
