Radio jockey Nicholas J Kharnami, aka RJ Nicky J, sparked a debate on social media with a simple act – taking a train from Mendipathar to Guwahati.
On Saturday morning, Kharnami posted a selection of photos at Mendipathar station. The service from the North Garo Hills town to Assam’s Guwahati is the only railway running in Meghalaya; furious opposition over the decades based on a perceived danger that the coming of trains will bring with them a massive influx in migrants has effectively stalled any chance of railways in the rest of the state.
Kharkamni, however, has come down in favour of trains.
“My Meghalaya My Pride: My maiden train ride of Meghalaya from Mendipathar railway Station to Guwahati that too just ₹30 …Absolute Wow! Such a clean railway station,” he wrote to his 63,000 Facebook followers.
At the time of filing this report, the post had garnered more than 150 comments.
Some were positive, expounding on the benefits of cheap travel for individuals as well as in bringing the cost of goods down. Others, however, remained fearful of an influx of migrants.
One commentator, Krishnendu O Bappi Chanda, managed to take the middle ground with an interesting idea – an intra-state railway for Meghalaya to connect towns like Shillong, Jowai, Tura, Nongpoh, etc with each other.
Pressure groups have led the opposition to the coming of railways to Meghalaya and they refuse to even countenance goods-only trains unless the Inner Line Permit (ILP) is applied to the state. Most politicians and political parties, taking their cue from these organisations, agree. However, the implementmentation of ILP in Meghalaya has been stalled as the proposal is still under consideration by the central government.
The truck lobby is also thought to be against the coming of railways as it would dramatically reduce transport costs. For individual travellers, the rail option from Mendipathar is a real bargain – at just Rs 30 per ticket, it is many times cheaper than going by bus, shared Sumo or taxi.
