Many have seen the web series ‘The Railway Man’ based on the incident of Bhopal gas tragedy. The web series, played by KK Menon, portrayed the true story of station master Golam Dastgir and his team on the night of the Bhopal tragedy. This four-episode web series has been etched in the minds of many viewers.
It’s not like railway men only live on celluloid screens or pages of books. In reality they also have wanderings. A railway man also appeared on the Dhumketu Express train from Dhaka to Rajshahi on March 5. The system of railways overcomes the weaknesses and challenges of thousands who have helped around 700 students to enter the exam hall on time. His name is Asim Kumar Talukder, this gentleman is working as General Manager of Western Railway.
The Dhumketu Express train is scheduled to leave Dhaka for Rajshahi at 6 am on the 5th. There were about seven hundred aspiring students in that train, who were supposed to participate in the admission test of Rajshahi University that afternoon. But the train could not reach the Kamalapur station on time due to schedule disruption. As a result, the start of the journey is also delayed. Calculated around 11 am, the train will reach Rajshahi at 3 pm. But the last shift admission test is supposed to start before that.
Asim Kumar Taludkar’s battle started from then. Dhumketu Express was being pushed towards Rajshahi with top priority overtaking other trains. Even the train was not stopped at unimportant stations. But again setback, Laheri came to Mohanpur and the engine of the train failed. The examinees then have their hands on their heads. Asim Kumar did not panic, he made an immediate decision and arranged to bring the engine of the Chilahati Express train at the nearby Sharatnagar station, the Comet again ran towards Rajshahi with the engine of another train.
By that time Asim Kumar also contacted the VC of Rajshahi University, he requested the VC that the train will reach Rajshahi by four in the afternoon. Considering the students, the time of admission test is slightly delayed. The VC agreed, he also kept checking the train at scheduled intervals. When Dhumketu Express stopped at Rajshahi University Station, it was thirty eight minutes past three in the afternoon. The examination had already started, but those who arrived late due to the delay of the train from Dhaka, were allotted extra time, the authorities took their examination with special consideration.
There are thousands of ghosts riding in our system. The train tickets are sold out, the schedule is not correct, despite having so many passengers, the railways have to calculate losses of crores of rupees every year. But as there are ghosts of the system, there are also railwaymen like Asim Kumar Talukdar in this department, who do not shirk responsibility, who do the impossible to wipe away the tears of some candidates. In this burning country, these people show us dreams in the midst of a thousand disappointments, bring tears of joy to our eyes!
