Coolie? Why not call us porters instead?

NEW DELHI: 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.

After a long gap of 25 years when 'Coolies' were heard and their role was recognised in the society with the Bollywood 'Icon' Amitabh Bachhan giving a voice to their plight through the hit film 'Coolie,'  the coolie fraternity has decided to voice its demands on their own.

"We are going to put our demand before the government for not only changing this name but also to consider us as the fourth grade employee under Indian Railways and providing pension scheme for our colleagues who cross 60 years of age" says Charan Singh, who has worked as a coolie on the New Delhi Railway Station for last 35 years.

"I have seen the governments and Railway ministers changing for last 35 years, but have not felt any change in my living condition throughout my life as coolie," he says.

"Though, Amitabh has portrayed our problems in a very forceful and beautiful manner on the big screen, our condition largely has remained the same," says Balwant, a coolie from the Kanpur Railway station.

"The more disheartening is the apathy of the government towards the problems of 17 lacs of these 'coolies' across the country", he rues adding government had never been serious with their living condition and daily problems.

Criticising the Railway Minister on his new proposals of replacing coolies with the self-service-trolleys, he says, "Lalu has been a leader of the poor people, but even he has not done any thing for us".

Why should not we be given attention, especially when the Railway profits is growing in hundreds of crores every year? he asks.

Instead, the Railways have put a plan to give contracts to Indian Railway Tourist Corporation (IRTC) for transporting the passenger luggage, he says. This is to deprive us of our livelihood and will leave us with no option but to die, says Aftab, the president of the coolie council at Kanpur station.

"This proposal is scheduled for trial at the Kanpur Railway station from the April 1 this year, which we will not let to go on. Its the matter of the survival of our families", he says.

"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.

"To ensure our voice more collective and forceful, thousands of collies from across the country have gathered at the national capital," he adds.