By: Barnali Bose ( Associate Editor-ICN Group )
Suburban trains : Great leveller of sorts
CHANDANNAGAR: Mother Nature has strange ways of levelling out imbalances in life.Sometimes the remnants of palatial homes and shanties floating side by side in floods while at times,both reduced to mere rubbles in quakes are silent testimonies to this indisputable fact. The greatest leveller,of course is death. Prince or Pauper meet the same fate at his death. “Earth thou art and to earth thou shalt return” is the ultimate truth.
In our daily lives ,we live through situations that dent our false pride in position and possession.Travelling on a local train is one of them. For over two decades,I have been travelling in Suburban trains in the Howrah Division. Long distance luxury public transport being conspicuous by its absence and road travel being more time consuming in this part of Bengal,both the haves and the have-nots commute by local trains to work in the city.
There being no facility for class booking, social equality is well translated into reality where the rich and poor have no alternative but to brush shoulders with one another. Everyday,I come across passengers from almost all walks of life.As a mute spectator,I observe the young corporate employee clutching her laptop bag , the rich lady trying to crease out her expensive attire , the impoverished factory worker ,the student and the teacher all jostling through the crowd in the overcrowded compartment frantically trying to secure a seat.
Its interesting to hear various dialects as they discuss mundane day to day matters. Some of them, though not schooled, spell words of wisdom which endorse the belief that true education is attained through diverse life’s experiences and is not necessarily limited to the university degrees one acquires. As I observe their mannerisms ,I think the best place to study and evaluate the intricacies of diverse human characters is aboard a suburban train .
It is undoubtedly,an enriching experience and indeed a great leveller erasing man-made differences.It makes me ponder over the futility of erecting walls amongst our brethren since one and all will one day inevitably ‘in the dust be equal made’. Thus , shouldn’t we build bridges of compassion before the icy hand of Death silences our voices forever?
