An Indecisive Indian

  Dr. Sreedharan had spoken!     Revisiting what he said... Dr. E. Sreedharan, affectionately known as the 'Metro Man,' undoubtedly stands as one of the most renowned figures in the history of Indian Railways (IR). His legacy is firmly etched in the annals of Indian public transport, where his visionary leadership left an indelible mark through the creation of the Konkan Railway and the subsequent Delhi Metro. Dr. Sreedharan's remarkable tenure as the Managing Director of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) from 1995 to 2012 is a testament to his exceptional abilities, and it came as no surprise that finding a successor of even remote calibre was not easy task. His outstanding contributions earned him prestigious accolades, including the Padma Shri in 2001 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2008 from the Government of India, as well as the Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur in 2005, bestowed upon him by the French government. Time magazine also honoured him by naming him one ...

  It’s a mere train! Not a Chandrayaan or Mangalyaan Some folks often inquire if government accolades have graced me, and I respond that the love and appreciation I have received from the people of our country surpass any official recognition, more than I could ever merit. Indeed, it was not easy to overcome the ignominy cast upon me and the ICF team by the diabolically venal railway bosses for designing and manufacturing Train 18 in record time, as it thwarted their machinations. I, however, made peace with it long ago, choosing not to dwell on it or speak about it.   As an agnostic, I harbour doubts about the existence of a God-like entity, but if such a being does exist, it seems they had a plan in store for me. This past week, I was honoured on three consecutive days, not by the government, but by certain organizations, which more than compensates for all the omissions that good people might believe I deserved. Simple acknowledgment, rather than any specific award, i...

  India on the moon Ghālib ticks off a jealous Shakespeare  Chandrayaan 3 is successful and India is on the moon That too with a landing on the dark side which no other country has managed so far. As a euphoric nation celebrated, Ghālib too was in the seventh heaven. But the bard appeared and tried to rain on the parade, presumably out of green-eyed English envy with an attempt to chisel away at this masterpiece of success of Indian Space scientists. An animated conversation ensued with Ghālib showing the bard his English place of mediocrity and the latter’s rants hid nothing but an unintended tribute to India’s brilliance. I caught them in time as the bard was getting ticked off, and rightly so. When they talk to each other, it is always a marathon of titanic wits, parried and reposted in a verbal joust but today the bard, perched on his English pedestal was looking for darkness in the sun whereas India had found the darkness of the moon. I proudly reproduce their dialog...

  I f the readers have not seen them or similar news items already, they may go through these: ET Now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InH2UtRdTZ8 News 18: https://www.news18.com/india/how-india-hopes-to-export-vande-bharat-trains-by-2026-with-railways-pli-scheme-for-wheels-brakes-8546891.html What stands out is this declaration of the ministry: Indian Railways (IR) is looking at becoming a major exporter of trains, inter alia, Vande Bharat trains by 2025-26 to markets in Europe, South America and East Asia. This would be helped by the proposed Productivity Linked (PLI) Scheme to boost local manufacturing. I begin with the proverbial caveat that, "If wishes would bide, beggars would ride" or simpler, "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride" and also tempted to exclaim, “ “if ifs and ands were pots and pans, there'd be no work for tinkers' hands”; my by now hackneyed response to an excessively optimistic declaration . Settin...