Virar passengers chip in to keep their lives on track

MUMBAI: There is little the commuters in Vasai-Virar locals can do about their daily travel woes. But for every other problem in their day-today lives, they have a solution.
A number of commuters from this region, who travel to work in certain trains, have what is called the 'Virar train fund' . Monthly contribution ranging from Rs 50 to Rs 100 is made to the fund, which is maintained by one of the regular travelers.The money, they say, comes handy when a member or his/her family needs financial help for medical care. When there is no medical emergency, the funds are used to celebrate festivals inside trains and even to organise 'train friends' picnic' .
"Most of the commuters in our group have been travelling for over 15 years. We are now like a big family, organising picnics and functions. A year ago, we decided to contribute on a monthly basis so that the money can come handy in case of a crisis,'' said Vikram Sinha, a Virar resident.
Two months ago, Sinha and his train friends were able to financially help one of their co-traveller who suffered from a heart ailment. "The financial contribution may not be much, but at times like this, anything is a blessing,'' said Sinha.
The monthly contribution, say commuters , begins once the travelers get a sense of confidence in each other. Most of the contributors are those employed in regular jobs and travel at the same time every day. In some cases, the train friends have similar train timings, both in the morning and the evening. "We spend a good amount of time in travel . In that sense, train friends have become a key part of our lives. So being of help, especially financially is natural ,'' said Manjula Churmure, a Nalasopara resident, who organises the traditional 'haldi-kumkum ' festival inside the train compartment every year. "I buy the gifts and sweets for our group with the money that we collect. At the end of the year, if there is still money in the kitty, one of us gets it by a draw. That person can use the money and repay it to the fund in small instalments,'' said Churmure.
Funds that remain unused by the end of the year are also used to organise picnics. "Picnic among train friends is becoming common. Depending on the funds, we invite family members, especially children,'' said Vasai commuter Nirmala Bhide.
However, the fund raising, the celebrations and bonding among commuters are not always welcome by travelers. Those boarding at stations like Mira Road and Dahisar find the groups irritating. "The groups coming from Vasai-Virar think they own the train. They occupy the entire train and make us feel like outsiders ,'' said Mira Road commuter Ruby Sheikh.
(sandhya.nair@timesgroup .com )