AMRITSAR: Five years since India revoked Article 370, India and Pakistan are yet to decide on resuming the Samjhauta Express, a ‘Mohabbatan Di Gaddi’ or “train of love” that symbolised peace, reunited families, served pilgrims, and supported cross-border trade.
It was on August 8, 2019, that Pakistani railway authorities had asked the station master of Attari to send over an Indian crew to Wagah for taking that train home because the Pakistani crew — two drivers and a guard — had refused to enter the Indian territory for “security reasons”.
The immediate provocation for Pakistan to cancel the train was that India had revoked Article 370 of the Constitution that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
The train scheduled to reach Attari at 12.30 pm with 110-odd Indian and Pakistani passengers had arrived around 5pm that day and empty rakes sent back to Pakistan, since the other side had conveyed that the suspension was only for a day.
A bilateral agreement binds India and Pakistan to use their rakes alternately every six months. Pakistani rakes are used from January to June and the Indian rakes from July to December. Typically, the rakes are returned to their home country either the same day or after an overnight stay. Now, the Indian rake of 11 bogies is parked at the Wagah station in Pakistan.
The suspension of the Samjhauta Express had earlier been one of India’s diplomatic answers to Pakistan for February 2019’s Pulwama terror attack in Kashmir. The peace train that used to run 29 kilometres between Attari (India) and Lahore (Pakistan) every Thursday and Monday, covering one of the shortest international distances of only 3.25 km between Attari and Wagah, has also borne the brunt of their bilateral bitterness in multile suspensions such as after the demolition of Babri Masjid, during farmers’ agitation in 2015, and post Pulwama.
Amritsar neurologist Dr Manik Mahajan said: “The resumption of the Samjhauta Express will not only bring business and prosperity to both sides but also answer the pilgrims’ prayers and boost medical tourism in Punjab. The matter should not be ignored for long.”
We also published the following articles recently
Pakistan: Lahore records heaviest rainfall in years
A record rainfall flooded houses and hospitals in Lahore after 353 millimeters fell within hours. This broke a previous record from 1980. At least one person died, and schools and offices were closed. Efforts were underway to clear the water from hospitals and streets. Heavy rain also impacted Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, causing 24 deaths.
Two Express trains timing revised
The Indian Railways announced changes to the schedules of two Express trains, effective from August 15. The Gunupur to Rourkela Rajyarani Express (18118) had revised timings between Palasa and Sambalpur, and the Visakhapatnam-Brahmapur Express (18526) experienced changes at Palasa station. Other arrival times along their routes were adjusted accordingly.
Indias Gaganyatri reaches US for space station training
IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla began specialized training in the US for his first space mission to the International Space Station, collaborating with NASA and Axiom. The Ax-4 mission involves participants from India, Poland, and Hungary, and will emphasize scientific research, technology demonstrations, and space commercialization. ISRO chairman S Somanath highlighted the mission's significance for India's future space endeavors.
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, Location Guesser and Mini Crossword.
Start a Conversation
Post comment