Vision and Thoughts of our late Hon'ble Abdul Kalam over Railway Safety/Security of rail passengers

The country former President, Honorable late Mr. APJ Abdul KALAM’S VISION FOR THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF INDIAN RAILWAY PASSENGERS:

It is worth to remember HIM as India’s ‘Father of Atomic Energy ‘ who always tendered his life and mostly spent on teaching, had received several prestigious awards including Bharat Ratna, and played a crucial role when India tested its nuclear weapons at Pokhran in 1998 when the Vajpayee government was in power. There can be no end for HIS contribution towards development of India in all angles.

India is the most fortunate country to have such a Non-controversial President who not only brought India in to the eye’s of the World as that of Late Mr. Lal Bahadur Sastry, and Adi Shankara Charya, and Vivekananda, his contribution towards study on the safety and security of rail passengers is worth to remember, now, at least, once. He found to have never thought of any leanings towards any person/political parties and or other diversities, except for India’s secured development and advancement.

One can imagine as to how much information HE might be having on hand on the working of the Railways’ dual Security system vis-à-vis the safety and security of rail passengers when HE addressed the Railway Protection Force and the Ministry of Railways’ personnel, and the gathering on 22nd May, 2006, and presented ‘The President’s Colours’ to the RPF, one of the Armed Force of the Union of India.

Whatever may be the outcome in these ten years time, out of his observations and suggestions, nothing found to have taken any shape for the growth of the passenger’s safety and security, filling up the vacancies to around 17 thousand or so. We are in ‘ as is where is condition’ in respect of division of responsibility between the GRP and the RPF. Both are running its Forces separately and independently, GRP at its State’s/District wise and the RPF over its Zonal Railways.

To make rail journey safer and secure to the 12 million people including the tourists who are making use of the rail services every day, He projected:

1. The need to remove the division of responsibility between the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF);

2. For empowering the RPF with legal powers to tackle all cognizable offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Special Acts so that there is a single point of responsibility for tackling crimes against railway passengers.

(My Article ‘DIVISION OF RESPONSIBILITY BETWEEN THE RPF AND THE GRP-VIS-À-VIS RAILWAY PROPERTY, PASSENGER AREA AND THE PASSENGERS OVER INDIAN RAILWAYS SYSTEM was first published in monthly Ministry of Railways Official Magazine " Indian Railways"-JUNE-2007, followed in the All India Retired Raiwaymen’s Federation Magazine- 'FEDERATION NEWS'- 'SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 2011' ISSUE; and also in LAWYERS CLUB OF INDIA WEB.)-(The 14th Lok Sabha, - 08-12-2009 also made recommendations for more powers to RPF)

With HIS forethought, from the above, it can be seen that the views and vision of our beloved Hon’ble former President Late APJ Abdul Kalam had in fact paved the way for reconciliation on this crucial matter of Law & Order and Crime control on Indian Railway’s System, and a day may not be far away to have a unified single ‘Uniformed Indian Railway Police Force-exclusively for the Indian Railways System’ to deal all the offences and matters concerning and pertaining to ‘railway property, passenger area, passengers, their belongings, and the matters connected there with’.

“ YE HOSLONKA UDAN HAI”

Article by:V.Seshadri, ASC/RPF/Retired,
B.Sc;LL.M;PGDip.in Crl.Laws;PGDip in IRPM

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