Discipline Triggers Achievement

My uncle Manghan Singh, a Sindhi Sikh, was a Travelling Ticket Examiner in the North Western Railway and was posted at Larkana Station in Sindh before India became independent in 1947. The partition of the country displaced millions but after safe arrival in India, all British Government servants were absorbed in similar posts and Manghan Singh was posted at Abu Road station. His line of duty was on up trains up to Ahmedabad and down trains up to Ajmer. On duty, while his colleagues settled down with a game of cards as the train moved out of the station, Manghan Singh, chiseled to perfection by the British school of adventure,thrift and integrity and thus a hard core disciplinarian and savior of the Railway Exchequer and getting over the woes of emigration, went about his duty diligently. Moving from compartment to compartment, he abhorred ticket less travel and relentlessly booked offenders much to the chagrin of compulsive and habitual freebooters. Apart from hawkers, the main tormentors of the Ticket Examiners were the college students who commuted on the Ahmedabad route from Mehsana. The matter had been the hot topic of discussion among the T.T.Es but none had initiated the move to apprehend the violators.

One fine morning while on duty and waiting for the train to pull out of Mehsana station, Manghan Singh witnessed a mad scramble by a group of students to board a compartment. Hell-bent on a showdown, he followed the unruly crowd and set about the task of checking, leered at by ticket less travelers occupying the seats while the ticket holders stood by. As he motioned for the tickets to be produced every offender pointed to their ring leader who sat cross legged, with a stub of a ticket protruding from the strap of his chappal and belligernatly pointing to the same. Humiliated and appalled by gross lack of respect for elders, Manghan Singh quickly slapped the antagonist left and right, pulled him up by the scruff of his neck and dragging him to the exit, booted him and threw him out of the compartment, as the train started to move. The rest of the offenders seeing the plight of their leader had in the meanwhile scampered, making room for the ticket holders who quickly made themselves comfortable. A bit out of breath, Manghan Singh amazed all onlookers, by nonchalantly going about his duty.

With unpleasant incidents galore during his line of duty over the years which were best forgotten, Manghan Singh had reached the retirement age.Having attained the post of Head TTE, he was on the last lap of his duty from Ahmedabad to Abu Road where he was to be felicitated and escorted home by a distinguished gathering of Railway employees. As the train screeched to the stop at Mehsana station and he got down to stretch his legs, he was approached respectfully by an official who ploitely requested that the Honorable Member of Parliament, Shri Hasmukhbhai Patel desired his company in the first class compartment. Flattered and alarmed by the summons, he entered the compartment to see a distinguished looking individual awaiting his arrival. Seeing the Head TTE, the MP was up on his feet and with outstretched arms bade him sit by his side. In a split second, Manghan Singh placed his arrogant instigator of perhaps twenty five years hence and started to enunciate an apology, only to be cut short by the exuberance of the MP who loquaciously proceeded to regale his company about his thrashing at the hands of the Sardar Jee that had propelled him to be elected as Member of the Parliament. Amused by the unassuming admission, Manghan Singh guffawed and related the incident as his line of duty and now sincerely asked whether he could be of any service. The MP with a twinkle in his eye smiled solemnly and said " Yes Sir, I desire just another thrashing. Who knows, it may earn me the post of a Cabinet Minister".