In office, it was the silly season post KRA evaluations; the twilight zone between the close of one financial year, one year of performance, and being assigned the new list of to-dos for the current FY. For reasons too complex to mention here (some other time, some other post, maybe), I was, uncharacteristically for my department, told to fly to Delhi for the rest of the week. I happily did, as the assignment was basically go there and do nothing for exactly five hours a day and come back. (if you really must ask, I was to observe a Focus Group Discussion; just observe, not report, no nothing. I could give inputs to the execution team if necessary. Such assignments come few and far between) So I flew into the National Capital on sunday morning, with nothing to do. So I headed off to India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhavan and all those grand buildings that i had only seen on TV so far. More on that later (maybe).
What I want to write about, however, is the Metro. I rode the Metro every single day I was there, and came back impressed. Two years or so since the first run, the service is still spic and span. That, by itself, should count as a great achievement in this country. The stations were neat and clean, well lit, and well guarded. At least, CRPF personnel, body scans, luggage X rays…the works. Every possible nook had a route map of the network, and the maps near the ticket counter had fares too, so you knew exactly how much a trip would cost before you even stood in line. Wish it were so everywhere.
A normally unrurly public actually attained civility once they entered the Metro station. I didnt see anyone spit, or litter; and everyone stood in line to buy tickets and for security check! Thus the train, the stations, were beautifully clean. The trains have a no-eating-or-drinking-inside policy. I found it strange, till it struck me that this was perhaps the one rule that prevented the trains from becoming mobile refuse collectors for peanut shells, chips packets and banana peels. But of course,one can buy all sorts of packaged food from the many stalls and restaurants in the stations.
The people have taken beautifully to the system, and seem proud to have the trains running above and below them. The stations have become the new landmarks, and the pillars of the overhead portion have become new signposts. The hotel where the FGDs were being held was exactly opposite Pillar 97, I was told, and so it was. Guess many people, myself included, were glad to have something in our midst that actually works.
Something that works adds a bit of confidence, and a spring to ones steps.
