How uncivilized we are!

I still remember the day when we first travelled by train, It was the month in which trains were first introduced in Kashmir. It was a pleasant occasion for us because Melbourne Educational Institute, Serch, Ganderbal had scheduled a leisurely train trip. Our teachers checked our tickets before we boarded the train at Srinagar Railway Station. We had never seen the train before our very eyes; only on television. As it beeped its horn, it made all the kids happy and made us grin. While the new train was in operation, our teachers were outlining its features and specifications. The digital metres were installed on it along with loudspeakers announcing forthcoming stops loudly and displaying any necessary cautions or recommendations, such as “please vacate the seats for ladies.” The train has charging ports and fans mounted on it for charging purposes.
After a few years, I boarded the train and was horribly startled and surprised by the condition of the train due to the lack of metres, removal of the charging connections, filthy seat coverings, and numerous idiotic scribbling on the seats. The train was covered in dust and littered with the wraps from people’s ingested cookies, chocolate, and chips packets. Some of the electric boards were removed, and some boards were dangling; even the footrests were broken or inoperable, displaying how uncivilised we are. I was deeply saddened as well as angered by witnessing such a pathetic condition of the train. Who is responsible for it including the filthy condition and the dirty state of the railway station?
The railway department must take strict measures to stop such filthy behaviour of passengers. It must also take appropriate steps to prevent inconvenience to the passengers. There must be an ATM at the Srinagar Railway Station, and the Railway Department should also take care of the deplorable state of washrooms at the Nowgam Railway Station.
Author is a Ganderbal-based columnist and is pursuing MSc in Zoology from HNB Garwhal University. Feedback at [email protected]

Peer Mohammad Amir Qureshi