A Train Journey And Two Names To Remember
June 22, 2014 Leave a comment
Shankersinh Vaghela and Narendra Modi, who between them left a lasting impression on two strangers in 1990.
“It was the summer of 1990. As Indian Railway (Traffic) Service probationers, my friend and I travelled by train from Lucknow to Delhi. Two MPs were also travelling in the same bogie. That was fine, but the behaviour of some 12 people who were travelling with them without reservation was terrifying. They forced us to vacate our reserved berths and sit on the luggage, and passed obscene and abusive comments. We cowered in fright and squirmed with rage. It was a harrowing night in the company of an unruly battalion; we were on edge, on the thin line between honour and dishonour. All other passengers seemed to have vanished, along with the Travelling Ticket Examiner.
We reached Delhi the next morning without being physically harmed by the goons, though we were emotionally wrecked. My friend was so traumatised she decided to skip the next phase of training in Ahmedabad and stayed back in Delhi. I decided to carry on since another batchmate was joining me. (She is Utpalparna Hazarika, now Executive Director, Railway Board.) We boarded an overnight train to Gujarat’s capital, this time without reservations as there wasn’t enough time to arrange for them. We had been wait-listed. Read more of this post
Rajesh Jain is a Mumbai based serial entrepreneur , investor, technologist and committed BJP supporter.He is the founder and Managing Director of 
In September 2003, about a year after Gujarat was ravaged by communal riots under Modi’s watch, the chief minister was seeking approval from the business community. Thus was born the ‘Vibrant Gujarat Summit’, the investment jamboree that Modi has made a biennial political statement since. Back then, though, it was a tentative idea, rising from the ashes of a polarised state and a leader seeking validation.
