There is no Chennai resident who has not heard the sound of trains going ‘Tadak…Tadak…’. The railway station and the trains have always been mixed with the reality of the life of the people of Chennai. These trains always have a place in people’s life journey from morning to night.
Chennai’s first suburban train service was launched on April 2, 1931 from Tambaram to Chennai Beach. Since then, for about 92 years, these suburban train journeys have become a part of many people’s lives. Many people depend on these trains for their livelihood. I always have a habit of patiently observing railway stations which are always running smoothly.
It turned out to be such a day. At around 2:30 pm I saw a laborer sitting tiredly wearing red cloth at the front gate of Chennai Egmore station. ‘Will there be any passengers?’ He was looking longingly. As there were no passengers present I got a chance to converse with him. He did not want to reveal his identity. But he started the conversation.
“I have been doing this waged job of lifting luggage at railway stations for the past 14 years. Now I am 63 years old. My career is not what it used to be.. It has changed. Everyone will see us from different perspectives. Some will pay according to the job. Some will give less. Many times I have gone through insults. So I wanted my children to study and be in a big place.
My son wanted to study shipping. I took loans from many places for him to study marine engineering. I continued my work with the dream that my son would graduate and our family status would change. But, the opposite of what I thought happened next.
Unexpectedly, my son’s eyesight was damaged in a fireworks accident. Slowly his eyesight was losing. Then my confidence was completely shattered. My struggle did not stop there. I am not a father who thinks that girls should not study. I made my daughter study along with my son. I thought she would give me a break at the end. But my daughter also did not help me in this time of grief. She also did not go to work because why should I go to work when my brother is at home without going to work.
At present, the entire economy of the family depends on me who is 63 years old. However, there is hope that all this will change. I am moving through the days with this hope,” he said.
We all are running for something in this world. There are many stories going on in everyone’s life. The laborer I met shared one such story with me. But his story was full of lessons of hope to move on to the next phase of life!