The Suburban Passengers Association has decided to escalate their planned agitation on August 22nd into a larger public demonstration. Seeking support from local Sarvjanik Ganeshotsav Mandals, Govinda Pathaks, MPs, MLAs, social influencers, local public representatives, and NGOs, the association aims to address ongoing train delays and stalled infrastructure projects impacting local services.
Meantime Divisional Railway Manager of the Central Railways Mumbai division has scheduled a meeting on August 14 to address issues with representatives from various passenger associations.
Apart from that Siddhesh Desai, secretary of Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh has also written to the railway minister on August 12th , urging immediate action to resolve the pressing issues impacting local train services.
This move comes after the Government Railway Police (GRP) issued a warning notice on Saturday, alerting the association to potential legal consequences for any disruptions or rule violations during the protest. The expanded agitation is intended to draw significant attention to the issues affecting train services and push for urgent solutions. "We will agitate on August 22 without any type of disturbance in the train services" said Desai adding that the theme of the protest will be ‘Gandhigiri,’ focusing on non-violent civil disobedience to garner public support.Asked about the support of local leaders and NGOs Desai stated, "We are actively seeking support from Sarvjanik Ganeshotsav Mandals, Govinda Pathaks, local NGOs, and politicians, including members of Parliament and the Legislative Assembly.
Our representatives have already begun meeting with these groups to present a memorandum and request their backing for the agitation.
According to Desai, as part of the protest, passengers are encouraged to visit their nearest railway station on August 22, present a charter of demands to the station manager, and take a selfie with the station manager while wearing white attire and a black ribbon. "Participants are asked to share these photos on social media with the hashtag #WYW (Wear Your White) to amplify their message" he said.
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The agitation is driven by widespread dissatisfaction with the frequent delays affecting Mumbai’s suburban train services. With over 3,000 suburban trains operated daily by Western and Central Railways and approximately 7 million passengers using these services, delays have become a significant daily inconvenience for many.
The passenger associations hope that this protest will highlight the pressing need for improvements in train services and infrastructure, and they are calling on the public to join them in their efforts to bring about change.
On August 14, the Divisional Railway Manager of the Central Railway Mumbai division has called a meeting with representatives from various passenger associations to discuss ongoing concerns. Lata Argade, Secretary of the Federation of Railway Passengers Associations, stated, "We are going to attend the meeting called by the Divisional Railway Manager on August 14, but this does not mean that we will withdraw our protest decision will be taken according to outcome of the meeting."
