EXPRESS TRAIN HIJACKED- ONE MORE NAXAL ATTACK

After 5 dramatic hours the Delhi bound Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express was freed from Maoist-backed tribal activists (NAXALS) who held the train hostage at a station in West Bengal's West Midnapore district on Tuesday.
Timeline of the Rajdhani crisis:
2.30 pm: Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express passes Banstala station in West Midnapore district. The train was stopped by around 500 tribals armed with bows and arrows. They took over the driver’s cabin and surrounded the train. They then took the driver to a nearby area.
4.00 pm: Security forces begin firing at the tribals.
4.30 pm: Negotiations begin between tribals and Railway officials. Tribals give food and water to the passengers in the train.
5.00 pm: Firing exchanged between the two sides.
6.00 pm: Central forces manage to reach the area and the tribals begin retreating.
7:00 pm: Security forces take full control of the train. The tribals flee into the jungles.
8.00 pm: Relieved train leaves Kharagpur with doctors onboard the train.



"The train had just crossed Jhargram station and was passing through a densely forested patch when a large mob attacked it with stones," passenger Susanta Das said.


"The mob, armed with axes, swords, bows and arrows, smashed the glass panes and forcibly opened the doors as the passengers panicked.


"All of us were asked to get down which we did. We thought they would loot us. But they did not harm anybody after we followed their orders," Das, a wildlife enthusiast who was on his way to Himachal Pradesh to join an expedition, told PTI.


Most of the passengers reportedly thought them to be dacoits. The train, which left Bhubaneswar around 0900 hrs IST, reached Kharagpur at about 1400 hrs IST. The incident occurred about half an hour later, he said.


"Initially, we also did not know that a bandh was on in the area and we also had no idea why the train stopped," Das said, adding the attackers initially appeared to be in a violent mood, but calmed down as the passengers obeyed their orders.


Another passenger Subodh Tripathy said after the train was stopped, the passengers locked themselves in. But the doors were forcibly opened by the agitators.

This is very bad new for tourist and travellers in general. Since the roads in India are more than unsafe due to the status of the street and the chaotic and suicide- like driving- style of the average Indian, now the dirty and unhygienic but up to now safe means of transport is now under questions. What remains is flying, but not all cities are reachable and other cities like Dehradun or Nashik haave only one flight per day, served by adventurous small propeller machines.
What are Naxals ? ( will come in the next post)

HADIWAR RAILWAY STATION

Just a few shots at Hadiwar train station on the way from Dehradun to Delhi

SUMMER SPOTS

Indians living close to the railway tracks will be provided with summer spots for another 3year. 'Green toilets' toilets, will be introduced in all 40,000 trains with a delay from 3 years.
Many people find it disgusting to stand on the platform at the railway stations because of the stench. But nobody asked the villagers getting the spray of the excrements, as a result of a speeding train and humans’ contribution. With the completion of the “green toilet” project. Due to the endorsement of the generous railway minister Lalu Prasad the project could be finalized in 3 years. It is not easy to understand, why the name “green toilet” project was selected. What is green? The toilets, the chemicals used. Preventing that nature gets natural finely dispersed dungeon, can hardly be called green, it is the reverse. Taking the chemicals into account I would have called it the blue project. Now please tourists don’t get desperate. All those who would like to drive with a traditional Indian Train ... On the left side the European style toilet (to be used not later than 1 h after start, while Indian gentleman dislike to rise the toilet seat before peeing during staying upright) and on the other side the classical Indian hole in the flour of the train, giving an intensive view of the conditions of the track…..3 Indian years can easily go up to 6 regular years, giving you enough time to plan your trip and see the summer spotted Indians along the railway tracks.
For the fanatics of figures: the manufacturing of a green toilet will be rs 60,000,correspobding to approx 1.000 €. An astonishing price, since only 6 months ago I bought a chemical, blue toilet in Portugal, for reasons I fail to understand now.... of coarse not meeting the harsh conditions as on Indian transport for 85 €, inclusive the chemicals for 6 months occasional use. So the Indian train toilet must be a special green technology product especialy developed for the intensive Indian use under most severe conditions and green was always a little more expensive than blue
Other figures:Installing the toilette in 40,000 trains would make 160,000 toilettes conform to Indian Times. But being a little familiar with Indian trains, each train has at least 20 coaches, if each coach as 4 toilets, this than makes not 160,000 toilettes but 3.2 mio. Under these circumstances, the summer spotted Indian along the track may prevail not for another 3 years but for another 60 years. Prost Mahlzeit.