We shouldn’t need Yamraj to get us to follow rules

‘Yamraj’ carrying a trespasser off the tracks

Dressed in a black velvet coat with gold trimmings, a white pearl necklace strung around his neck and brandishing a mace made of gold paper and cardboard in his hand, Yamraj appears on a bustling platform of the Churchgate station, drawing both amusement and curiosity from onlookers. The flashy black 'n' gold costume on the tall, hefty man looks both comical and jarring at the same time, but that is the intent, said a report which has evinced widespread reaction.

This ‘Yamraj' is a constable with the Railway Protection Force and he looks for commuters who attempt to cross the tracks, appearing before them, in a reminder of what awaits them, as rail track crossing is deadly. The God of Death suddenly manifests himself and states that it is safest to waste a minute than to risk your life.

Track crossing, and the resulting deaths, remain one of the biggest challenges faced by the Railways. The Yamraj initiative is part of the Western Railway establishment's Zero Deaths Mission, aimed at minimising fatalities on the railway tracks.

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The creativity is commendable and what is better is that the Railways is also making all out efforts to upgrade infra. The report cited a senior officer stating they have started building wider foot overbridges (FOBs). There is also the IEC campaign where information, education, and counselling are used and the Railways has brought on board celebrities to drive the message home. A multi-pronged approach is sure to work and the parallel effort of ensuring more accessibility for commuters is a heartening measure.

It is sad that the Railways needs to run an aggressive campaign about what should come naturally to commuters, yet the effort deserves a round of applause. All track crossers must realise that the God of Death, the Yamraj may stop you from crossing but in the end, good sense should also do that job.