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Railway Police issues notice to motormen for ostracising members who did not support strike

To maintain law and order and prevent inhumanity towards five motormen who did not support the motormen strike, the Government Railway Police (GRP) has issued a notice to all motormen. It states that if they fail to follow the instructions mentioned in the notice, disciplinary action will be taken against them.

A cartoon mocking the five motormen

The notice was issued to the motormen by the Churchgate Railway Police. Medha J Kadam, Senior Police Inspector, Churchgate said, "I have sent the notice as per the directions of my seniors."

Five motormen from the Western Railway (WR), namely Zahoor Khan, Lachu Singh, Ajay Hardwal, Anil Kumar Dwivedi and SB Nivant, were being socially boycotted by the motormen. The letter sent to the motormen asks them not to forward messages, organise press conferences, or hold meetings that can stori up hatred, or put up posters that will hurt others' sentiments.

While Zahoor Khan and Lachu Singh were targeted because they had not participated in the strike that took place on May 4, the other three were boycotted because they had agreed to train extra drivers who could run the train in times of emergency.

After the strike, an SMS had been sent to boycott the offenders socially. Derogatory posters were pasted in the motormen's cabin, and graffiti was scribbled at several places terming them traitors (gaddars).

The families of the five motormen claim to have suffered a lot. "The motormen who harassed us should be punished and their families should be treated just like we were. The police should have taken action against them earlier. I hope they learn a lesson after this notice," said the wife of one of the five motormen.

"We are still not allowed to talk to the media. The taunting has reduced after the GRP issued the notice. We thought about the commuters and hence, agreed to run the train and not participate in the strike," said one of the five motormen. Ajay Singh, Divisional Secretary, Western Railway Mazdoor Sangh (WRMS), said, "We cannot tolerate such behaviour. The kids of other motormen are harassing the kids of these five, at school.

This is a form of public humiliation. Their families are not allowed to attend any social functions. They have done their duty, and this is what they get in return."

Raj Khilnani, Additional Director General of police, GRP, said, "When the motormen undertake an agitation, or a strike, the law and order situation in the city gets disturbed. We are not against their demands, we are against their way of decision to alienate a few motormen just because they did not participate in the strike."