[Resolved]  Western Railway — Complaint about Handicapped Compartment

Address: Opposite Station Building, Churchgate, Mumbai - 400020, Thane, Maharashtra

Website: www.wr.indianrailway.gov.in

Respected Sir,

Myself, Shilpa Mane stays at Virar and works at Bandra. I am pregnant of Advanced Stage and require to travel from Virar to reach to the office.
Generally ,I try to prefer normal ladies compartment as far as possible but sometimes I am not in the position to get into the train and avail seat ,since Morning Trains are mostly overcrowded as everyone is in hurry to reach to the office. In that case I had to catch Handicapped Compartment which is allowed to travel in advanced stage of pregnancy for Western Railway as per the rules.
Which is clearly specified at the Western Railway’s website also: http://www.wr.indianrailways.gov.in/view_detail.jsp?lang=0&dcd=407&id=0,...⇄

WR opens up disabled coach for pregnant passengers
Kalpana Verma : Mumbai, Wed Jul 13 2011, 00:24 hrs

GS Bannerjee, chief commercial manager, Western Railway, said, "When Nirupam forwarded the demand to us, I realised it is a genuine one. If a working woman is travelling for work in advanced stage of pregnancy, she would find it difficult to board a train, even the ladies coach. Besides work, there are many women who travel by train for regular check-up in hospitals. Also, there are fewer commuters in coaches for the handicapped. Pregnant commuters need not show any certificate to board the coach unlike the handicapped commuters who need a certificate."

Main Complaint:

The train departs from Virar Station in the morning by 7:42 a.m. from platform no. 1 towards Churchgate got “Arrogant Group in the handicapped compartment “( 1st Handicapped Compartment towards Churchgate side) are harassing Pregnant Women always. (Observed since past 1 year)

For this train only, One Fat ,Fair Complexion, heighted 5”Feet approx., bob cut hairstyle lady mostly wearing Punjabi suits aged around 40 plus enters from Dahisar / Miraroad Station &
One short slim old man ,wheatish Complexion with all gray(white) hair , heighted below 5” feet approx. , aged around 55 plus travels from Virar Station are the main leaders of this Group, who are harassing very much to all pregnant women along with their whole group who enters into the compartment. If any incident happens with Pregnant lady who will be responsible for this ?

i) They abuse to the Pregnant Woman and their family members with bad words.
ii) They don’t allow to sit Pregnant woman in that compartment.
iii) They don’t share seat with Pregnant woman for some time also.
iv) They demand for Pregnancy Certificate.
v) They say that you can only stand into the compartment only when in the Eight month of your pregnancy & you are not allowed to sit at all not even to enter before eight month of your pregnancy.
vi) You can enter into this compartment only when you are going for Medical checkup not for Office travelling
vii) They force Pregnant Woman of advanced stage to stand whole journey even from Virar to Churchgate almost of 2 hrs. journey also, or else they made them to get down in between stations.
viii) In case any Pregnant women sit from Starting Station (Virar) when there are many seats to sit , they will make her to stand immediately at the next station ( Nallasopara)
ix) The whole time of Travelling , they create so nuisance and abuses to the Pregnant women that her health may get spoil because of these people and she may face any kind of complications of High Blood Pressure etc. Which is dangerous during pregnancy.
x) The Eyewitness of this kind of harassment with various Pregnant women even at the end of the Eight Month( last stage of Pregnancy) when they make her stand and abuse badly is the attached Second Class Ladies compartment who had done N Number of Chain Pulling due to these people since they harass to the Pregnant women.
xi) Even I had seen the whole ladies compartment tapping on the Trains and saying “ Hye Hye handicapped “ and “ Handicapped Murdabad” to show “Nishedh” Protest against their this rude behavior, so this will make you realize how much these people specifically only this group is creating Monopoly and Harassment of Pregnant Women.
xii) They have passed on their threats so worst, hardly any pregnant woman dares to get into this compartment. This is happening since more than a year.
xiii) The lady who enters from Dahisar pulls out Pregnant women out of the compartment since they have passed on wrong concepts into their group and utilizing advantage of their group. Imagine 8-10 people fights , quarrels against one single pregnant woman , what will be her situation in her advanced stage of pregnancy?

Kindly look into the matter, and make them understand that even Pregnant women in Advanced Stage are equally authorized to seat into the compartment and travel comfortably like Handicapped or else keep reserve seats into the handicapped compartment for Pregnant woman which will give at least little relief against this kind of harassment.

Kindly make them understand advance stage doesn’t mean only eight month, since premature baby delivers into the seventh month also, and in certain cases doctors determines certain complication which can be considered into the advanced stage of pregnancy. I understand third semester and when Pregnancy can be easily visualized (Seen) should be consider into the Advanced stage of pregnancy.

The word “ Board” is taken in the wrong manner by this group, and they consider it as just to enter & stand, not to seat. Whereas, when we talk about flights also we say Boarding into the flights or planes but no single passenger stands into the flight. All the passengers are allowed to sit. Please clarify them all these concepts and even allow us to seat into the compartment since it is difficult to stand whole journey of 2 hrs. into the handicapped compartment.

I hope , my this complaint will be taken seriously and resolved at the earliest to give relief to the all pregnant women from their Harassments & quarrels specially for this train.

Thanks,

Shilpa Mane