What we see
"What we see" is an episode where in we visit different places all around Kolkata and let u know what we see.
This time in 'What we see', we visited :
DUM DUM Railway station
Situated on the Northern part of Kolkata, the Dum Dum Railway station is probably one of the busiest Railway station in the city after Howrah and Sealdah. Being a juction it is the line divider for the Bongaon line and the Ranaghat line, the two major lines in the suburban railway network. Dum Dum Railway station is unique in a way that it is the Only Railway station in the city which has stations for both the Indian Railway and the Metro railway.
We went to the Dum Dum Railway station(Indian railway) early morning on a weekday. Located just beside fish market, many daily passengers say that it is the best place for a station to be as they can fulfil their daily ration while on their way back home. Though, not probably amongst the cleanest stations but regarding the efficiency it provides to the local people we had to admit that Dum Dum Railway station is one of the best located stations in the city.
While we entered the station it was bustling with people, which was just as we expected. You could always feel the sense of urgency amongst people. Office passengers to school kids, everybody rushing here and there. Another noticeable thing of the station were food stalls. From tea to Oils they served it all. For people missing breakfast, stations like these serves as quite a relief as we saw crowded people surrounding the stalls waiting for their order. The owner of the nameless telebhaja(oil fried foods) stall Mr. Bipul Das feels great pleasure in what he says close to 300-350 people come to his stall daily."Khaiye o moja, Khawate o moja". Even the independent hawkers start their day running here and there jumping off from one train and getting on to another. A busy a place like this also serves great host for advertisement companies. Banners of wide range were on proud display at the station starring local Actors and Film stars enough to catch the eye of the public.
After inspecting the place for a while, we didn't get a very good site. There were people crossing the railway tracks dangerously, though over head bridges are well enough built. People were less considered to do the tedious job of crossing via the over bridge. Talking to the Dum Dum GRP(Govt Railway Police) sub-inspector Mr. Tuhin Biswas, we came to know that the death toll on the railway tracks has increased over the years. In the Dum Dum GRP's jurisdiction till Barrackpore railway station 260-270 deaths has been recorded in a year. "If people don't understand their basic responsibility, how can we help them" . Quite rightly so. But with distance to travel and jobs on stake, people are left with no choice but to climb the fence and run over the railway tracks. Even the stations serves as shelters for many homeless people. Poverty and hunger could easily be spotted. Even small kids of 4-5 years came to us begging for money. Quite disheartening. But, Probably that's how life proceeds here at the Dum Dum Junction.
It's a race against time.
Our experience at the Dum Dum railway station: ★ ★ ✩✩✩
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