No coach for disabled persons, ex Army commando made to ‘suffer’ in trains as nobody offers him seat

Shyamraj E V

I am ex-commando from Para Special Forces. I am a war disabled causality due to spinal cord injury. I am completely paralysed below chest.

My native place is Kasaragod, Kerala. Nobody can believe the sufferings what I have undergone in last ten days because of kind heartedness of Indian Railways towards disabled persons.

I have been wheel chair bound since 2002. My wife is a serving officer in military nursing service and presently she is posted in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

No railway coach including AC coach are disabled friendly as there is no space to take the wheel chair inside and wash rooms are not disabled friendly. If I have to travel in train it means somebody has to lift me and make me lie down on the berth throughout my journey and keep my wheel chair folded. I won’t be able to use wash room for the entire journey. How can I occupy other seats also during day time causing inconvenience to other passengers?

Once I travelled along with my family members in II tier AC and at  that time all the six seats were booked for our use. No middle seat in II AC in between I was able to sit also on the berth. That day I decided if its possible i will try to avoid train journey because that is not suitable for wheel chair bound persons.

At that time TTE suggested to me that there is a compartment (in a coach) meant for disabled persons and I  may be comfortable there. Once I travelled in such coach from Pune to Thrissur and found it to be luxury for disabled person like me because I can sit on my wheel chair during day time. There is enough space to move out and even I can use wash room freely.

I always prefer select private airlines for my trip to Kerala from Uttar Pradesh. As I have to go to Pune in between I thought disabled  friendly coach will be suitable for me in November – December as climate is also good.

22 November : Journey from Kasaragod to Pune

When I reached Kasaragod station I got first shocking news. There was no differently abled coach in train 22149, ERS Pune Express. But authorities were kind enough to give me permission to travel from Kasaragod to Pune,  around 24 hour journey, by sitting at toilet side. As my physical condition may not permit me to accept their great concern, I moved from Kasaragod to Mangalore, around 60 km, by road to get another train 12620, Matsyaganda express upto Panvel.

From Panvel I boarded the same train which I had planned to travel from Kasaragod. I travelled in general coach and finally reached Pune with swollen legs and landed with urinary tract infection as I was not able to empty my bladder also.

2 Dec 16: Journey from Pune to Uttar Pradesh

I learnt from my bitter experience, so in advance I enquired from railway authorities regarding availability of disabled friendly coach in 12103, Pune – Lucknow express. They told me that the disabled friendly coach may be either in front or back. When the train arrived on platform,  I literally rushed from one end to another looking for the coach. But every effort was in vain as there was no disabled friendly coach at all.

As the railway station master was busy he was not able to give permission for me to enter into his office and listen to me…just scolded “TTE se pooch ke koi bhi dabba me chadh jao”.

I heard the “kooo…” siren of the train just making fun of me. When I approached Assistant Station Master he was reluctant to give me the complaint register but at last he guided me to go by 11077, Jhelum express up to Jhansi and try to get another connecting train to Lucknow. He telephonically confirmed that no disabled friendly coach was there in Jhelum express too. At last he tried to help me to reach Lucknow as I have to reach there on 4 December to attend a marriage function.

I entered the grievance in complaint register and then I rushed to catch Jhelum express. I was not able to enter into sleeper class, I was totally exhausted and tensed. The Indian Army soldiers from army coach welcomed me to their coach and they tried to make my journey as much as comfortable as they can. But that journey was only up to Jhansi.

I left the train in Jhansi at 2.05 pm on 3 December i.e. World Disabled Day and waited for connecting train to Lucknow. Train 19165, Sabarmati express was running 2 hours late. But thank god…differently abled coach was there. First I wondered, around 40 to 50 passengers were already sitting in that 2 berth coach for six persons. Someone had already occupied the washroom also. These many disabled persons. .!!!!!!!!!! ??????? I wondered.
But there was no visible disability in them except one person.

When I was searching for help I saw some Railway Protection Force (RPF) also in that coach. When I approached them they told me, “Bhai thoda adjust karke baith jaavo”. We have to salute Indian Railway Police also because they were also ready to understand the pain of disabled persons and travel along with them in disabled friendly  coach…hahaha. So with great difficulty without a place to turn my wheel chair I completed my ‘suffer’ of 10 hours and finally reached Lucknow at 5.30 am on 4 December (18.45 to 05.45) what I was supposed to reach at 5 pm on 3 December by Pune Lucknow express. I am grateful to all the co-passengers who tried to understand the pain of a disabled paralysed person….because nobody offers their seat to a disabled commando.

We say “differently abled” but please try to understand that we are not competent to face this much “sufferings during safar”.

On disabled day I am sharing my sufferings for all the disabled persons: please take care of your life.