Indian Independence

1st South Asian Interhash: 12-14 August 2006
The Madurai Incident

The General Manager
Southern Railway
Chennai- 600 003
India

Dear Sir,

Letter of Appreciation of Southern Railway Staff

I had the occasion of traveling by train No. 2637 Pandiyan Express from Chennai Egmore to Kody Road by 2A/C on 11th August 2006. I am a Bangladeshi national and had gone to Kodaikanal to join a group of over a hundred international friends on a recreational running event during the Independence Day weekend.

While alighting from the train at Kody Road at 5:30 AM, a small bag of mine containing valuables fell under the seat and was left behind by mistake. I did not realize this till after about an hour and a half when a friend of mine traveling on a separate bus to Kody received a call on his cell phone from the Platform Inspector of Madurai saying that they had found a bag and the owner should go and collect it from him. My friend informed me on another cell phone. I got off the bus and hired a taxi to travel the 70 km to Madurai (the famous Meenakshi temple being another attraction).

It was an unbelievable surprise to find my bag with the contents intact. Every item had already been meticulously entered in the Lost Property Register (still surviving since the British Raj!). It transpired that after the train reached Madurai, its terminus, an air-conditioning Mechanic found the bag and handed it over to the CTTI, who in turn handed it over to the Platform Inspector. The bag contained my Passport with a couple of valid European visas; Indian, U.S. and Bangladesh currencies amounting to about IRs16,000; my Visa card; airline tickets; spectacles, pen and notebook; and my cell phone, with which the Platform Inspector had called my friend.

The Platform Supervisor extended utmost courtesies to me. While my emotions showed, he, in a matter of fact and efficient manner, after identification handed over the bag and asked me to check the contents. When I offered a reward, he firmly but politely declined. On the contrary, he gave me a gift of the latest edition of the railway time-table. While it was a relief to get back my travel documents and other valuables so easily and so soon, it was indeed a soul-inspiring experience to find such honesty, devotion to duty and efficiency in public functionaries, who in no way can be said to be holding exalted positions either in the bureaucracy or in the society.

My sincere appreciation and gratitude are due to the following exemplary personnel of Southern Railway, and I would like to convey it to them through you.

1. Sri Pitchai – A/C Mechanic/Electrical/MOU

2. Sri R. Chandrasekar – CTTI/I/SC/MOU (COR)

3. Sri Kasirajan – Platform Inspector, Maudrai Jn.

4. Sri S. Kasiviswanathan – Platform Supervisor, Madurai Jn.

Incidentally, I found the Madurai railway station to be most modern, clean and beautiful. It came as no surprise to learn that it has been honoured as the Best Railway Station of Southern Railway for the last three consecutive years. No doubt, the contribution of the staff is considerable. They are the pride of Mahan Bharat on her 60th Anniversary of Independence.

With kind regards,

Yours sincerely,

Juned A. Choudhury
Rail Jerker’s Diary