PTI reports,
The demand is feeble, not even listed in the charter of demands that they would present to the Railway Minister. But they plan to broach the issue at an appropriate time, why call us ‘coolie’?
“It is one of our several demands including a forth grade employee status to coolies and a pension scheme for those coolies attaining age of 60,” says Mangat Ram Saini, Chairman, All India Railway Coolie Organisation.
Coolies, the inseparable entity of one of the world’s biggest Railway network and the biggest non-governmental structure supporting the Indian railways have come up with these demands during their ‘Sansad Ghero Abhiyan’ in the capital.
“This name, ‘coolie’ smacks of the British Raj and still gives us a sense of ’slavery’,” says Saini adding a better calling name was much required to uplift their social status.
“Being called as ‘Coolie’ is a little degradation of the kind of service, we provide to the millions of passengers everyday,” he says.
I support them. ‘Coolie’ does sound a bit degrading. Let’s call them ‘Porters’ from now on (that’s what they are demanding). They also want to be considered as fourth grade employees under Indian Railways and want a pension scheme for their colleagues who cross 60 years of age. Those are legitimate demands.
And who, according to them, will help them in their struggle? Read the following quote,
“However, we are very optimistic with the assurance of assistance and cooperation from the Congress secretary Rahul Gandhi,” said Mangat Ram Saini, the chairman of the union.
Heh. Rahul Gandhi? Last heard, he was para-gliding in Pune with his friends and organising cricket tournaments somewhere else; purportedly to promote team spirit. Don’t ask me how. And this retard is being projected as the next Prime Minister of India! God save India and our Coolies…err…Porters!
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