before i start talking about the issue on hand let me make two things clear
a) i am a strong supporter of individual's freedom. everybody has a right to do anything and everything, if it doesnt interfere with other person's freedom.
b) i believe in religious tolerance. though i am an atheist, i still believe that it gives me no right to mock at people. i respect all religion, their beliefs, and so on. Actually often i am dazed and wonder at the simplicity of such beliefs.
So coming to the issue at hand...
day before yesterday i was coming from bhubneswar to chennai. I had gone there to attend a marriage of my friend. we had stayed all night and had slept only in the morning. so when we finally got into the train, at 10 in the night, we were tired and just kicked the sack.
i dont what time it was, must be between two to four in the morning, when we heard lot of noise. The sabarimala devotees, making their annual pilgrimage, got into the train, shouting " saami saranam....."
It was to say the least - irritating.
When morning i got up, having hardly slept, i find all the devotees sprawled all over the coach. they did not have confirmed ticket. ofcourse it is legal to get into a train with a wait listed ticket, but so many of them? OFcourse giving inconvenience to the fellow mankind is never a thought in their mind, after all converse only with GOD!!!
notwithstanding the fact that our dear lalu had introduced a seat between the side upper and side lower, making each coach little more crowded, these people occupied every single space left - the places beteen the seats, the places between two thin people, the places where one guy has gone to the upper berth to catch a nap.....every possible seat.....
and top it up with the noise.....
and as if it was not enought that they disturbed the sleep in the night, when we went to sleep in the afternoon, their enchanting prayer to god, cajoled us to wake up!!!!!
thank u god
thank u devotees
