Buoyed by hope, ladies' special starts journey

KOLKATA: For Mamata Banerjee, it may have been one small step towards Writers' Buildings. But for those taking the 8.40 am Down local from Bandel, it was a quantum leap buoyed by a sense of freedom, security and hope.
Of course, it helped that as the train rushed towards Howrah, stopping at the 14 stations on the way, no men boarded it. And that two women RPF constables were present in every compartment.By the time Monday's first ladies' special local train reached Howrah at 9.43 am nine minutes behind schedule there was a smile on every face. Mamata's move called populist, gimmicky had paid off.
The Up train pushed out at 6.55 pm and reached Bandel at 7.55 pm. The nine rakes of both the special trains were chock-a-block.
Baidyabati resident and government employee Ananya Das takes a local train at 9.30 am. But Monday onwards, she has vowed to take only this special train. "Now there is no chance of a woman passenger being molested, as is the case in general compartments. I don't mind reaching office early, but I am going to travel by this train,"she said.
Most passengers thought the best feature of the trains was the tight security. There were two women constables either from GRPF or RPF posted in each compartment. Whenever the train entered a station, the public address system announced: "Men can't board this train. This is a women's special train."
Sunita Singh from Hind Motor demanded an extra ladies' compartment on all local trains with such security measures. "Being a private firm employee, it won't be possible for me to take the train while returning. Didi should now try to make all local trains a safer place for us," she said.
In the morning, it seemed like a belated Women's Day celebration at Bandel station. Each passenger boarding the train was handed a rose and a sandesh by local Trinamool Congress supporters as a gesture of welcome on board the first ladies special train of Eastern Railway.
"The railway minister did her job by flagging off the train on Sunday. Now it's time for the passengers to respond," said one of the Trinamool supporters.
The move has even drawn the applause of Left supporters. Shraboni Ghosh, a CPM activist and Uttarpara resident who took the morning train, welcomed the move. "I support the Left, but I must congratulate Mamata for this initiative," she said.