After learning that the Union Minister of Railway Suresh Prabu would be laying the foundation stone for Dimapur (Dhanshiri) to Zubza train route on August 1, 2016 a lot of thought began to process in my mind. The thought of train running from Dimapur to the interior parts of Nagaland may be fascinating however the thought of the pain this train is going to bring out weights the happy thoughts of the coming train. There are lot’s to be pointed out however few points that are worthy to be considered at the present junction as to what could happen with the coming of the train are:- 1. Taxi Drivers will lose their jobs: There are hundreds of taxis in Dimapur alone. With the coming of Train many people will take the train to travel form Dimapur towards Kohima. The reason would be the cost of train travel will be very less compared to that of a taxi fare and much comfortable. Which in turn will result in the passengers taking the train and dumping the taxis. Once the taxi driver loses its passengers that will be the end of their jobs. We have to remember that these taxi drivers have family to take care too. They have kids going to school/colleges; they may have old sickly parents to take care of. Their kids also have dreams and would want to become doctors and engineers. The only one who earns might be their father who is a taxi driver and when his/her father loses his job as a taxi driver that would be the end of the dream for all those who depend on him. Has the central govt/state govt/ Nagaland NGO’s considered the situation? 2. The roadside hotels will have to close down: Today while travelling up to Kohima we see many small hotels serving good food. These hotel owners are mostly locals who are trying to make a living depending on the taxi drivers/bus drivers who bring costumers to them. Once the train starts the hotels can say goodbye to their little earnings because the taxi/bus passenger would be riding the train. Which means many locals Hotel wallas will have to close down their hotel. Many of these hotel wallas might have taken loans and even sold off their land to start their small hotel and now this train is going to put an end to their dream. These hotel wallas have kids and other family member depending on them. What will become of them? Again has the Central/State govt/ Nagaland NGO’s considered this situation? 3. The local truck owner/mini-goods carrier vehicles will lose their job: There are many locals who own Trucks/mimi-goods carriers for carrying goods from Dimapur to Kohima. These tuck owners have taken loan from the bank or borrowed from someone some have even sold their land to buy the truck. Now once the train comes in the truck drivers/mini goods carriers will lose their job. Because the train will carry goods at much cheaper rate. Any person with common sense would use the train to save money. This will result into complete business failure for the truck/mini-goods carrier owners. What has the central/state govt/ Nagaland NGOs thought about this situation? 4. The local fruits/ vegetable sellers will lose their costumer: Many self help groups have opened fruits/vegetable stalls along the Dimapur-Kohima highway and depend on the taxi and other commuters for their sale. One the train comes all these self-help groups will become help-help groups. There small business will be utterly destroyed by the coming of train. Has the central/Sate Govt a mechanism to help these people? 5. The damage to the Environment: For the coming of the train a lot of vegetations would have to be destroyed to make way for the Train tracks and stations. Nagaland is already bustling with vehicles with no proper air pollution control. The train most likely will be a diesel engine. The amount of diesel smoke put into the fragile environed would be dangerous. The fresh air of the Naga Hills will no longer be fresh but polluted with toxic diesel exhaust of the train. We can expect more asthma, and other lungs infections with the coming of train. Has the central/state Govt/Environmental NGO’s thought about this situation? 6. The illegal immigrant issue: With the coming of the train there will be a train of Illegal immigrants reaching every interior parts of Nagaland, because the train would make it more easy for them. Which means after the coming of train in few years, the number of illegal immigrants would multiply at an alarming rate. Which would translate to more problems in the future. Has the central/state govt and all Nagas sick with illegal immigrant issue in Nagaland thought about it? These are just few things but there are more to be discussed. I wonder if our Central / Nagaland Sate government have done a proper homework and weighted the “cost and worth factor” of ushering a train to reach to the interior parts of Nagaland. It is well understood that the coming of train is much wanted, however the real question is do we really “need” it now? When there is no proper mechanism at place for the taxi drivers, road side hotel walas, vegetable vendor who would be the first ones to lose their jobs and to check the inflow of illegal immigrants, why ask for more train services. Nagaland would need more train service to the most interior parts of its state but not now now. Just as we cannot imagine of bus service from Dhobinalla to DC court Junction as it will affect hundreds of Autowallas, we cannot imagine of a train where taxi wallas are barely making enough to feed their family. The Nagaland Govt/politicians encourages Nagas to stop looking for government jobs and start their own private business and when the people are trying to establish themselves by driving taxi, trucks, selling vegetables etc, the State Government plots with the central government to throw a train in the mist of the competition. What kind of backstabbing policy is this? The Nagaland politicians and the Govt better have an answer for such ugly policy. No right sensing government would throw a train in a fragile economic environment like Nagaland where small business individuals are struggling to survive. It is not that we don’t have a train station in Nagaland. We have one train in Dimapur which is enough for us for now. The lone Train Station in Dimapur has contributed to the economic growth of the state however it has also poured in more illegal immigrants to the State and has caused enough headache/heartache as well. The taxi unions, the truck drivers union, the hotel unions etc should consider the case very carefully. And take up the case soon with the State/Central government before it’s too late. Naga land owners should also study the matter carefully before giving any land for the rail track. Where are the so called environment activists? Who sing slogans for protection of environment? Why are the environment NGO’s being silent over the matter? Taking pictures of hugging/planting trees does not help much neither wearing a cap/T- shirt that says protect environment. If the Environmental organizations in Nagaland truly care the current new train project form Dimapur to Zubza should have been enough to stir up their spirits and they would have done something already. We have to put ourselves in the place of the taxi driver, truck/mini-goods carriers, vegetables vendors etc only then we will understand the seriousness of the matter. It would be great if our Union Minister of Railway Suresh Prabu take a drive from Dimapur to Zubza then to kohima and see the situation for himself. Nagaland needs train service reaching all the districts but not now. Imlisanen Phom, Dimapur
