It is high time for Indian Railways to implement steps to thwart naxal attacks, which has resulted in significant loss of revenues  The latest maoist attack on Mumbai-bound Janeshwari Express has yet again revealed the vulnerability of railways to terrorist attacks. In wake of the said attack, there has been a proposal to stop movement of trains via naxalite belts during night. While this is not the first time that the left-wing extremists have targeted Indian Railways, it is indeed surprising to note that in the past 1 year over 60 such attacks have taken place. In fact four such attacks have been carried out in the month of May itself and the Railway Ministry is yet to come up with any concrete steps to prevent such attacks.Note this figure, owing to such attacks in the past 1 year, Indian Railways has suffered loses worth Rs 500 crore. The loss has come at a point when increase in freight and passenger movement has been witnessed by railways. Forget about mail and express trains, even premium trains like Rajdhani Express had to bear the burnt of naxal attacks. In an audacious attempt, the left wing extremists had stranded Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express for several hours last October, thereby sending shock waves across the nation.
Why trains are being targeted?
The most pertinent question that arises at this juncture is why trains are being targeted by the naxals. According to Accamma, chief public relations officer of Southern Railways, “Since railways are availed by masses, attacks on them bring these rebels to limelight very easily.” Mr Accamma also added that Southern Railways has taken several steps to ensure safety of travellers from such attacks. Among these steps are installing close circuit cameras at important stations and regular patrolling by Railway Protection Force (RPF) and General Railway Protection Force (GRPF) staff at important trains. In fact in a letter written to RPF in April, the Railway Board had asked RPF about steps taken to protect luxury trains such as Deccan Odyssey, Maharaja Express etc.
Logistics cos suffering too
The attack has not only petrified passengers, but the same is taking a toll on operations of logistics operators. According to M S Madhubala, proprietor of Duropack, a mid-sized logistics firm in New Delhi, “Since railways is a cost-effective mode of transportation, most of the logistics operators prefer to transport their goods via railways. But due to such attacks, there is delay in movement of goods that reduces profit margins of logistics players like us.” The situation is far worse for logistics players operating in states such as Bihar, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Orissa, West Bengal etc as naxals have a strong dominance in these areas.
Lack of co-ordination among states
Analysts point out several reasons behind continuation of such attacks. They believe lack of co-ordination among states is one of the major factors, which is being cashed in by extremists to carry out such attacks on railways. Installation of advanced security gadgets on tracks, tunnels and bridges is the need of the hour. They also point to the fact that if such attacks persist for long, several railway projects may be delayed as passenger and freight earnings will witness a significant drop.
Arup Choudhury |
