There would not have been a better place to write this piece than a quarantine facility in Jammu as I am getting much needed calm and peace. I was put here on May 15 after returning from New Delhi on a special train. Though it was difficult to stay away from my home that is just 12 minutes drive from here, it was necessary.
On May 10, I was watching heartbreaking visuals of migrant workers and their children walking hundreds of kilometres to reach their homes as they were stuck in other parts of the country due to non-availability of work. They were forced to take this arduous journey as there was no option left for them.
I was privileged to have been staying with my wife at Mayur Vihar in Delhi whom I visited on March 12 and was since ‘stuck’ there. I had planned to stay with her for two weeks after which I had to return to my hometown, Jammu. However, a lockdown was announced on March 24 evening dashing all my hopes to ground. Being an independent journalist, this was the time that I should have been at Jammu from where I could have done some specials stories.
As soon as I saw the ‘breaking news’, below the visuals of migrant workers, that 15 special trains will chug out of New Delhi of which one will leave for Jammu, my hopes came alive. The notification by Indian Railways asked those who wanted to reserve a berth to apply online for a ticket at 4 pm on May 11. Waiting for this moment for nearly two months, I opened my laptop at 3.30 pm so that I don’t miss the opportunity. May be thousands of others like me were thinking the same way, as a result, the website of railways crashed and resumed only at 6 pm.
Being a journalist my instinct did not let me down and I knew I would be able to crack the ‘lucky draw’ and get one ticket for myself. I made it and got a ticket booked from New Delhi to Jammu for May 14 evening. Soon, the railways started to drop SMSes regarding dos and don’ts on my mobile number.
This was the time when I asked my wife whether she would be fine living alone without me in such a situation? Her answer was an in affirmative as she herself is a journalist and can manage things on her own.
Different thoughts crossed our minds from non-availability of food in the train to social distancing that was necessary during my journey. From packed snacks and juices to face masks, sanitizers and surgical gloves, I was ready with everything and set to leave for the railway station in a private cab (as Ola and Uber were not operating in Delhi).
I left home at 6.15 pm on May 14 as my train was scheduled to depart at 9.10 pm and the railways had asked to reach at least 90 minutes prior to the departure. It was too early to leave but I thought that it may take time at the railway station in screening and thermal checking before I was allowed to board the train. I reached the station at around 6.45 pm.
While the officials present at the railway station were guiding people for social distancing soon after entering the railway premises, the panicky passengers made efforts to enter the building as it was raining. Soon after entering, my luggage that included two bags were screened and I got ready for something that I was to witness for the first time – thermal screening and other medical checks. But wait! I was told to proceed to platform number 3 from where my train would depart.
No thermal checks, no medical screening. I went straight to platform number 3 where the train number 02425 (NDLS JAT SPL) was already stationed with passengers entering it and adjusting on their respective seats. The train would halt only at Ludhiana station. Almost all the passengers had entered the train at 7.20 pm and the air conditioning was switched on by 7.30 as it was too hot inside the cabins.
Even as none had instructed the passengers about social distancing, they were strictly observing it. Sitting on their respective seats, passengers started to interact with each other. With the happiness to go back to their homes along with the fear of a necessary administrative quarantine in Jammu, passengers were discussing every topic.
With side lower berth allotted to me, I became a part of the interaction and one of the co-passenger who would get off at Ludhiana told that he would not be put in a necessary quarantine. While the train still had half an hour to begin, another gentleman in his late 50s told me that there was no necessary quarantine at Jammu till I showed him an official order by the Chief Secretary of J&K stating that it was indeed necessary. He was disheartened and I tried to make him understand that the quarantine was good for us, our families and society at large.
At 9.10 pm the train started its journey with chatters in Dogri (the language of Jammu), Kashmiri and Punjabi started to emanate from different compartments. Following the norms of social distancing and staying on their allotted seats, my co-passengers started to discuss as to how Coronavirus has badly affected the lives of common people.
After nearly one hour journey …
