What it takes to stand up and fight – Guest Post by Prahlad

Dear Friends, when I first read Prahlad’s story, I  could not stop myself from sharing it with my wife…and both of us felt like saluting Prahlad. His story is a searingly honest, awe-inspiring first-hand account of what it takes to stand up and fight. Please read and share widely…Prahlad and countless others like him – who stand up and fight for their rights daily – against massive odds – and by staying within the law – give me hope…They are the true leaders in our movement to Reclaim India – One Step at a Time.  Please read on (emphasis is mine).

*** Practicing Karma Yoga by Prahlad Kumar Pandey ***

November 2, 2010.  7am, Jabalpur Railway Station

I, along with my younger brother, Guddu, and wife, Sangeeta, wanted to board in a train at Jabalpur to go to Satna. The train, Jabalpur – Rewa shuttle, is a fast passenger train and starts from Jabalpur at 7:30 AM. There are many people from Jabalpur who work in Sehora and Katni. They hold monthly season ticket (MST) as they are daily commuters.

As I wanted to board into the train, I was stopped by a man who was standing at the gate of one of the train coaches. On asking, why I was not being let in the coach, the man replied that the coach was reserved for MST pass holders. Indians should not argue and take pungaa when they are with their families. I moved to the next coach to find the same reply by another man blocking the gate. I boarded in the third coach with Guddu and Sangeeta.

Since it was a passenger train where normally coaches are unreserved, I wanted to confirm if there was really any such coach reserved. Settling my family there, I went back to the man to ask again if the coach was really reserved. I also pointed that there is no board on the coach indicating the reservation status. Looking me from toe to head, he man said the coach was not reserved but if I wanted to go in I could. There are advantages of looking educated and argumentative. Since my family and I had already found a place in another coach I denied going in.

While I was standing on the platform, I saw a woman in her late thirties almost running from one coach to another to board in. She had two children with her. She was holding one’s arm and the other one was on her shoulder. She had two bags. She was running to board in. Having seen her in trouble, I felt pity for her and anger for the men on the gates of the coaches. I stopped the woman and asked her to go in the coach. The man objected. I argued. The women moved to another coach perhaps seeing no immediate result in the fear of missing the train. I saw another person coming and told him that there was no reserved coach in the train, and if he wanted to go in the train he could. The man on the gate and another one on the first window threatened me that they will beat me if I continued my social service. He abused me. I warned them to report to the police. They come towards me to beat and said even police will do nothing to them as they are daily commuters. I ran away from there.

I called number 108 (emergency help) for police help. The call was transferred to the police station. In charge police inspector asked me to stay there. In between, the train started moving and my brother was searching for me. I had to board in the coach where my family was. Looking at the torn and unbuttoned shirt, my wife could sense the scene. It’s very embarrassing to look almost beaten, insulted and abused – to your wife, in particular.

I had to state everything to her and my brother. They got angry with both me and the villains. But finally I was held responsible for taking pungaa unnecessarily.

Was my reaction unnecessary? If there were such unnecessary pungaa more often, the woman could not have been stopped to board in the coach. I was told that there have been such incidents in the past few months. But police did not do anything as they were in group and were daily commuters. I called the police again and was advised to write a complaint in the register with the train guard. I approached to railway guard to report the incident. He said since the incident took place at the station, the report should have been filed with the Railway police at “MAY I HELP YOU” counter.At times, there are policeman in the “MAY I HELP YOU” counter. I was helpless. But I decided to go wherever I was asked to. Just to see how difficult it was to fight for the right cause.

10 am, Katni Railway Station

I got down in Katni Railway Station to file an FIR. The train stops there only for five minutes. The Government Railway Police (GRP) stations are outside the platform. There was a lot of rush in the platform. I was helpless again.

12 pm, Satna Railway Station

We finally reached Satna. Ashok and Sangeeta were of the opinion that I should leave the matter and go home.
“Dada, nothing will happen. The way these police men are talking sounds that this case is of no importance to them. You are troubling yourself and wasting your time. Let us not forget our destination. You have been saying that focus on your goal and don’t get diverted. Fight the war and not battles.” said Guddu

I said, “I agree. There are two points here. One, you think nothing will happen. I have always been guided by KarmanyeWadhikaraste Ma PhaleshuKadachana (Karma is your right and not the result). When it comes to practicing it you are looking at the result. Two, is this a wastage of time? We have five days of holidays. Even if I reach home a day late, how does it matter? I want to see why people think nothing will happen. Even if nothing happens why to give up without trying. There may be two things again. Either people do not fight back in such instances, or nothing really happens. In either case, I will have learnt something. And the benefit of learning outweighs the cost, we being on holiday.”

“Let us go now. While returning back we will file an FIR.” Suggested Sangeeta

“I will not be able to forget about the incident. Though, time is the best healer I don’t want to forget this until I try to the fullest.” I declared.
Finally, I hired a taxi and sent them to the village. I kept Sangeeta’s phone with me as my mobile phone battery had discharged.
I went to railway police at Satna platform. I narrated everything to the officer-in-charge. He preached me to leave the matter alone and enjoy my Deewali holidays.

I have seen very few POLICE (Polite, Obedient, Loyal, Intelligent, Courageous, and Efficient) officers polite. The degree of impoliteness increases as you inch towards rural India. The few who are polite are circumspect polite. The sense of politeness and mannerism comes in them only when they sense that the victim is influential, or rich, or a politician or aware. There is difference between educated and aware. However educated you are, if you do not know your constitutional duties and rights, they will not take you seriously and not act promptly and sympathetically.

2:30 pm, Satna Railway Station

On my insistence, I was offered to give a report here or in Jabalpur. I preferred going back to Jabalpur. Two policemen were sent with me. It was for the first time I didn’t buy a ticket since college days (I did not buy train ticket when I was a student for three reasons. First, I would travel in general compartment where hardly TTI entered. Second, even if I would be caught travelling without ticket, the penalty was Rs 50 which was less than half of the fare. Third, the one who bought train tickets during college life was considered as Lalloo or Pappu). In the train I talked to some school teachers and other daily commuters.

6:30 pm, Jabalpur Railway Police Station

On reaching the police station, I was asked to wait, as the In-charge police officer was not there. He came at seven in the evening. He asked what had happened with me, what was my occupation, etc.

7 pm, Jabalpur Railway Police Station

“You are such an educated person. Why did you “horn in” on their business? If you throw stone in the mud only you will get dirty.” He suggested.
“There lies the problem. There are few stone-pelters. Why do not we throw so many stones that there remains no mud. We sure will get dirty. But the mud would be removed forever.” I tried to explain
He said, “Since they have already gone and will come back tomorrow morning, nothing can be done today. You rest in the night. Where would you stay?”
“I will go nowhere from here until FIR is filed and the gates of unreserved coaches are open for passengers” I said in firm voice
He gave me a paper to write. I wrote three pages and explained every detail. Teachers explain every minute thing. At ten p.m., the FIR was finally registered under Indian Penal Code 341,323, 506 and 34.  I was happy now. Then I was sent for medical check up. I saw closely the problems of hospital and patients in government hospital. After I came back, I asked that since I was a victim of poor railway services I should be allowed to stay in Railway rest house for free. There was no such arrangement. I was asked to come back in the morning.

I had a couple of relatives in Jabalpur but I wanted to see to what extent a common man has to suffer to get justice.

11:30 pm, Railway Police Station Jabalpur

I decided to spend the night on the dusty bench at the railway police station because I wanted to put myself in the shoes of a poor man who wants to fight against the system. I wanted to see how difficult it could be for 400 million Indians who earn less than a dollar per day and could not afford a lodge not to talk of Hotel. I had my relatives in Jabalpur also. I also wanted to seethe empathic behavior of police. And most importantly, I had promised myself not to move from the police station, not to drink water and not to have food until the culprits are arrested. I was also determined, if needed, to sit on hunger strike for indefinite time.  I spent the night with lot of experiences. I witnessed how police-men beat accused in custody. It terrified me a little. Spending a night on the bench at a police station was really a good experience.

*** To be concluded ***

Tomorrow: Part II of Prahlad’s remarkable fight for justice…Don’t miss it.