PMji ki Amethi

I am travelling like the wind god, Pavan, through the deforested terrains of U.P. Taking the Janata Express from Benares to Ramanagar, the aim is to travel to tiger country. I am as ill equipped as they come, grossly misjudging the weather, the National Park and the train journey itself. I intended to take trains throughout this trip as a means to tear through and introspect. I am constantly reminded of Mr. M.K. Gandhi's train journey before he chose to resume his political career in India. Small grain of salt, though I am, I challenge none around and only myself to carry on unfettered and package home a wider understanding of life itself. Some would argue that life was right where I left it on 2nd Nov but there is no harm in evolving or looking out the window, at the terrain de-evolving.

The train has picked up and started rolling its ball bearings at 11.55 from Benares and in the typical frustration that plagues Indian Railway's patrons I was unable to find my coach to begin with. Nothing is marked and no official about to guide. In the typical Babudom drudgery of India one of them responds "arre kissi mein bhi baith jaiye na." “Just grab a seat in any one of the coaches. When the TC comes he will direct you to your seat.” Hissing loudly, I storm out of the baggage coach and decide to stroll till the end of the platform and Eureka I find S-8 at the fag end of the train loudly proclaiming the reservation chart with my name on it. I climb aboard and find my berth. Prostrating on it I vent my anger and then snooze for a bit. Waking up I find the train tearing through the Ganga basin and one of the most fertile regions in India. Not much has changed. For those who can afford it, the mud houses have changed to brick ones and nothing around has evolved in terms of infrastructure.

I wonder if these people don't have voting rights or if they choose their representatives for promises of simple things like electricity and road which seems absent all around. The train stops at the famed Amethi railway station. I look in amazement and disbelief at a small and insignificant looking village, which but for its name would have gone unnoticed. The Lok Sabha constituency has voted in 3 Prime Ministers, if you include Sonia Gandhi the ruling party's leader as one. I smile wryly, shrug off my disbelief and think if only they were remotely interested in public welfare.