Mumbai: For the past seven years, a team of Railway Protection Force’s (RPF) women staffers have ensured that women commuters can travel safely in Mumbai’s local trains. The team, called ‘Mahila Vahini’, catch chain snatchers, mobile robbers and rescue minor girls from stations.
This team was formed by former Railway Minister Mamta Banerjee in 2010 for the safety of women commuters. It consists of approximately 50 women staffers of RPF who are deployed at each railway stations on the central line between Chhtrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) to Khopoli. 30-year-old Mamta Chaudhary, subordinate of ‘Mahila Vahini’ has accepted all challenges in the job which she has come across.
Chaudhary recollects the number of mobile robbers which she caught red handed at railway platforms during peak hours.“We take help of two male RPF staffers who are present with us while chasing the mobile robbers at railway stations,” added Chaudhary. In 2016, at least eight cases of chain snatching has been registered at Kurla Government Railway Police (GRP) and a single case of robbery has been registered in the city.
“The modus operandi include them taking advantage of crowded stations during peak hours and skilfully snatching the mobile phone from the commuters standing at the foot board,” added Chaudhary. At least two women staffers of this team are deployed at every railway stations on the central line. There are more deployments at sensitive stations of Kurla and Dadar.
Chaudhary who has been a part of this team for the past three years has witnessed a series of incidents where minor girls were rescued by them. In 2014, another team named as ‘Mahila Shakti’ was formed in order to escort the coaches of a ladies special trains and ladies compartment on the central line.
There are two ladies special trains which are run daily each on the harbour and main line. On the harbour line, The first train leaves at 8:19am from Panvel station and reaches CSMT at 9:30am. The other leaves at 6:08pm from CSMT and reaches Panvel at 7:30pm. On the main line, the first ladies special train leaves at 8:01am from Kalyan station and reaches CSMT at 9:29am. The other train leaves at 6:08pm from CSMT and reaches Kalyan at 7:37pm.
“This team was formed especially to escort ladies compartment of the local train on the central line. Our work is to prosecute illegal hawkers who sell goods inside the local trains and monitor movement of drug addicts who cause nuisance on railway platforms and board the ladies coach,” added Chaudhary.
Like any other railway staffer, this team is also facing a staff crunch as the current number of staffers are inadequate for deployment at all railway stations. “A proposal has been sent to the Railway Board in this regards and we are awaiting for an approval,” said another staffer from the team.
Chaudhary who has a team of women RPF constables under her has been strong enough to face the challenges on the job. “I never felt I couldn’t do justice to my job as I am a woman. I have accepted challenges and faced life as it came,” added Chaudhary.
