The Involuntary Satyagrahi

It’s been 100 years almost to the first experiment of Satyagraha by Gandhiji in Champaran district of Bihar. The phenomenon still rings loud and it still is effective in its own ways. I am influenced by Gandhiji in a lot of ways, but I never fancied myself to be a satyagrahi. I am always a rebel. But life has its own ways of teaching you what you don’t want to. 

It was the vacation season and I wanted to take my son to my native. Flights are still not an option to reach there. Plus, the amount of time it takes me to reach Mumbai airport and then to the nearest airport to my native and then by road to my uncle’s place, is nearly the same as train travel. Also, train travel has its own charm, or at least I used to believe it till a few days ago. Getting confirmed tickets is always an issue for lowly mortals like me, so I tried to get them through some devious means, I am not proud about it, but in India, do as the Indians do. 

I somehow got 1 ticket confirmed between my son, my mother and me. I figured I will butter my way to another seat and things should be fine. What I didn’t account for was that half of India was also trying to butter its way. Plus, there were no more seats left to butter. I had a family with me in a similar situation. The husband had two tickets but had given it to his wife and daughter and he was also sitting like me on one corner of the berth, trying not to fall while dozing. 

The TC was merrily minting money, doling out whatever few seats he had to the highest bidder. There were 2 other guys like me in the same octet of seats. We got woken up at 12 30 by 4 armed guards that we weren’t allowed to sit in the compartment as we didn’t have valid tickets. We were forced out of the AC coach, like cattle almost. We protested as much as 4 hot blooded young men would do in front of 4 heavily armed police. 

We first argued like Indians would – Why should we leave, we have paid in full for the ticket, we will sit. We were told to shut up and move out. Then we argued like stupid people – why are we being targeted when there are several others who also don’t have valid confirmed seats, but are sitting. We were told to shut up and move out. Then we argued with logic, the rarest feat an Indian can do maybe – that what is wrong and why are we being singled out. Then came the reply. The guy with the family, in our octet of seats was some high-ranking railway official, who was denied a seat as he was ready to pay only the difference amount and not grease the TC further. 

The TC shamelessly gave away the few available seats to others, without considering the rank and the stature of the officer.  An act of rare stupidity, considering the fiefdom of Babus that runs amok in the country. The official seemed to be of a high moral fibre, another rare breed in this country. And to have both pitted against one another and we put in the middle of it, was so ridiculous, that it seemed like the stuff that Yash Raj movies are made from.

The officer said that as a rule he is not allowed to sit in the compartment, and he will not allow anyone else like him to sit in the compartment either. That explained the 4 of us out there in the cold of the train corridor, along with the 4 armed soldiers, the train attendant and the officer. We talked to him, cajoled him, made reason with him. But he stood his ground. He said, he is used to standing 12 hours as a part of his duty and he is ready to stand 8 more hours. It was his Satyagraha against the corrupt TC, and we were the satyagrahis. Out of respect we stood with him in the cold for 5 hours. The TC realised the repercussions this would have and offered his own seat to the officer, which he should have done some few hours ago, but it was too late by then. The officer warned him of severe action. The rifled security personnel stood with us for 2 hours and then left for patrolling. But we continued to stand in protest. Right next to the stinking train toilet, 4 young boys and an honest Assistant commissioner stood the whole night, as a form of protest. The TC stood as well – a meek spectator.

We spent our time with the officer, exchanged stories about honesty and corruption. I had been working nonstop in the day and then standing in the cold night in a cramped place with 8 other men. But I wasn’t tired. I was thrilled. I was finally part of something in my country. I was giving my 2 cents in forming this country. I was the involuntary satyagrahi.