Indian Railways and the Class Divide

Having studied agriculture for ages (six years is a long time yaar!) and then being a student of this well known management institute in western India, words like class divide have been very much a part of my academic lexicon. Though earlier, I would pass it off as a mere jargon, it somehow, did not seem to leave me alone. Having spent two years in a place where the government is run by those who are followers of the person, who actually seemed to have brought the word class divide into existence, I have always had a love hate relationship with this word. But travel in an air- conditioned compartment in a train and you cannot but acknowledge that class divide is not merely just another word, but it actually exists.
To begin with, air conditioned travel in trains in itself is considered to be meant for the “haves”. (That is where the class divide begins, between the haves and the have nots). In fact, this was the exact reason, why a former railway minister whose favourite dish was cow fodder, introduced a new breed of trains, christened, Garib Rath, so that the have nots can enjoy the comforts of air conditioned travel. I am however, not sure, how many of them could actually enjoy that, because, travelling ticket less in a general compartment is economically more feasible.
Coming back to the air-conditioned compartment. The difference that Indian Railways makes between a passenger travelling on an air-conditioned compartment and a general sleeper class one is visible right at the railway station. You have a separate air conditioned waiting room meant for “upper class passengers”. It has all the amenities, mobile phone chargers, cushioned seats and a television with cable connection, included, which many of the sleeper class passengers are often deprived of. As the train arrives, you have a conductor (attendant in Indian Railways parlance) to open the door for you, cater to small whims and fancies of yours and also keep watch as you break the rules (read smoke in the train) at your own free will. The TTE is always in uniform, full with the maroon tie, having the Indian Railways logo on it and who does not address you as “bhaiya” or “hello” but addresses you as “sir”. Quite unlike the often inebriated (especially in late night trains), kurta and black coat wearing TTE, in the sleeper class compartments, bearing a grim face, cursing you under his breath, for boarding the train, so late in the night. And yeah! The TTEs in the air-conditioned compartments also speak English, which their sleeper class counterparts are seldom found doing. Also, probably only the “upper class passengers” need pillows to sleep on, at night, because the sleeper class passengers are not provided any, leave alone sheets or blankets.
The toilets also present two different pictures. The railways probably assume that only the haves possess the need to wash their backsides after answering to the call of nature. That is why you can find mugs (tied to chains of course! The haves can be kleptomaniacs too) in the toilet to fulfil this need. And you don’t need to carry strips of paper soap with you because the toilets are replete with containers of liquid soap. While in sleeper class you have to carry a bottle with you or pray that, someone, who has used the toilet earlier, has left his or her bottle as a mark of benevolence.
The class divide is fully visible even among the haves. This applies to those travelling on fully air conditioned trains like the Rajdhani or the Shatabdi Express. The difference lies in the food served on board. Those travelling three tier on Rajdhanis are served a two course meal, while those on first AC are served three course meals. Same is the case with those travelling on the Shatabdis. The ones travelling the executive chair car are served three course meals, as against two course meals for those travelling chair car.
To be very honest, I am in no way, a socialist at heart and don’t really mind, being pampered in an air-conditioned compartment, when I can afford that. And this class divide is there to stay, no second thoughts abot that too. But may be the Indian Railways, will do better to provide a little more comfort to the sleeper class passengers in way of providing some amenities, apart from just a cushioned berth to sleep on.