Heroic individual efforts touch the right chord

WHEN PEOPLE HAVE TRUST IN THEIR ABILITY

Friday, 12 September 2014 | Ashwani Lohani | in Oped

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Individual initiatives, although seemingly minor, can bring about major changes in our beliefs

My recent visits to two establishments in Rewari, the first Heritage Transport Museum of the nation and another first the ‘Neverenough’ miniature trains park, opened my eyes wide and bright. That both these establishments have been the culmination of the efforts of singular individuals who invested their own time and money in realising their dreams of passion, gives happiness as well as hope that not everything is lost yet.

The heritage transport museum had always been a dream of the nation’s curators and heritage lovers. Unfortunately, despite sporadic efforts that died almost instantaneously, the dream continued to remain a dream till Mr Tarun Thakral, a passionate lover of antique cars and railway trains, stepped in. The museum that covers a wide cross-section of road transport and a good genuine sprinkling of rail heritage with some aviation and marine heritage also on display is a place to visit for an indian in love with his country and a foreigner wanting to visit a destination that is unique, interesting and provides a great experience.

The miniature rail park created by Adesh is also an amazing novelty so far confined only to developed nations. A place of joy for kids and adults alike, this park will also in time emerge as a tourist attraction of international levels. Besides its touristic value, such parks would also give a fillip to rail modelling industry in the country that is presently in its infancy.

These visits were unique as they reinforced in me the belief that there are still some good men (and women too) who care for their country and would go to any extent to live their dreams, dreams that are great in themselves and also contribute in making this country great. That it is still possible to achieve so much despite the constraining environment is a thought that loomed on me for a long period after these visits.

Almost two decades back, when I was appointed the Director of the National Rail Museum, I toyed with the subject of creating the nation’s first transport museum. In the backdrop of a dilapidated museum crying for attention, I perhaps rightly did not pursue the idea further and, in lieu, concentrated on a variety of improvements and other measures that helped in the proper positioning of the museum as the proud repository of the nation’s rail heritage. Transport museum at that time did not appear as a concept whose time had come. 

And so when I walked into Mr Thakral’s creation recently, I was pleasantly surprised but also satisfied that this national dream has finally been redeemed. Through this creation, Mr Thakral has given to the society many times over what the society would have given him in his entire life. He has put his entire life’s savings and almost two decades of energy and effort in realising his dream of giving the nation its first-ever transport museum, and in the process, proved that there are many for whom the word impossible simply does not exist. It is indeed men like Mr Thakral of the transport museum and and Adesh of the miniature rail park who really deserve recognition and also the highest accolades that this nation has to offer.

The achievements of Mr Thakral and Adesh reinforce in me the belief that it is indeed individuals fired with inner zeal, conviction and commitment who are our real national assets.

The nation on its part simply needs to harness, encourage and reward such individuals, if only with the selfish motive of inspiring many others to join this coveted league and propel the nation further on the road to progress.

Smoking Beauties

The steam movement in the country that started with the historic run of the fairy queen on the 17^th of october 1997 is now bearing fruit. Firmly established on the system are the Rewari Steam Loco shed and regular steam runs between Delhi and Alwar/Rewari.

The resurrection of Rewari and its positioning as the finest steam heritage tourism on planet earth is a landmark that celebrates the return of steam and also commemorates in the efforts of a few committed individuals whose only desire is to see steam on track, even if in a very limited way. Rewari is also a symbol of success, a pulsating proof of the saying that nothing is impossible if the focus is clear and commitment is not lacking.

The Rewari shed saw the light of the day, courtesy a brilliant officer by the name of Vikas who is now the torchbearer of the steam movement in the country. His team did the impossible by resurrecting the engines, one by one and simultaneously a team of engineers led by Saraswat turned the ruins into paradise.   

The 2^nd era of steam began with the historic run of the legendary fairy queen on the 17^th of October 1997, almost ninety years after the steaming beauty was laid to rest on the East Indian Railway. The resurrection also marked the birth in India of steam heritage tourism, a niche tourism segment, till then known only to the developed world. The massive national and international recognition that the successful run of the fairy queen garnered, resulted in the surfacing of a strong domestic tribe of steam enthusiasts whose selfless contribution is still keeping the movement alive. The Guinness world record certificate that the beauty was decorated with on the 13^th of January 1998 also helped in laying a strong foundation of the 2^nd era of steam.

The formation of the Indian Steam Railway Society almost at the turn of the century provided the much needed impetus to the movement that the fairy queen was instrumental in creating, almost from scratch. The society has been unfailingly organizing a National Steam Congress every year, this one being the ninth in the series. Regular monthly meetings and exhibitions and lectures being organized by the society have helped in keeping the flame alive. A major role of the society has been to provide a platform to the tribe of steam lovers whose emergence on the scene after the historic run of the queen was increasingly getting noticed. With a retired doyen of the Indian Railways, Romesh Chandra Sethi Esq providing leadership as its President since inception, the society has kept the flame burning even during those turbulent times when steam locomotives were getting regarded as a sure shot recipe for fame and foreign jaunts. Yes the movement suffered and was almost on its last legs when Rewari happened.    

Rewari was conceived as the mecca of the steam movement in the nation, but unfortunately the shed was allowed to go to seed when the initial euphoria died a sudden death almost immediately after the unveiling of the inaugural plaque by the railway minister. The long drawn saga of decay and neglect that followed was fortunately reversed at the turn of the first decade of the twenty-first century.

The Rewari shed has in the last two years undergone a metamorphosis almost akin to a crow turning into a swan. A dilapidated structure with decaying engines has with a lot of hard work, commitment, focus and vision transformed into the finest steam locomotive shed of the world, and also perhaps the finest steam heritage tourism destination on planet earth. It is also perhaps one of the finest examples in the nation of brilliance achieved, despite a highly constraining environment that the system offers.

What next ? The answer is obviously, more of steam on track. One hopes that spurred by the success of “Rewari”, the railways would seriously attempt to get back in a limited way, steam on all the five hill railways and “Insha Allah” if that happens, it would be the finest things to have happened for the cause of Indian Steam as well as Indian Tourism.

Elated I feel and rightly so. Smoking beauties have started churning out smoke once again.