THE SAVIOUR OF MANY A LIVES FROM DERAILMENT

It was 4.50 am. The night was dark as it always is just before the dawn. The train was moving at 25km/hour speed. Suddenly, the engines jerked to a halt so smoothly that none of the 1,200 passengers were neither stirred in their sleep nor disturbed either by the screeching of the wheels or the absence of movement beneath them. The driver of the train, who stopped the rail, peeped from his cabin to see if he could find out why the wheels of the train seemed to descend from their normal track. He saw a crack in the track, which could have caused a major tragedy, derailing the entire train and injuring/killing the passengers on board, if it had not been stopped on time. He then informed his superiors about the incident through walkie-talkie, as cell phones get no signal in the thick of the forest. He did not awaken the sleeping passengers and inform them about the narrow escape they had as that could have created a panic and led to mayhem. When they woke up, however, the passengers were in for a shock to find that they were in the midst of Western Ghats, somewhere between Yedakumeri and Kadagarahalli of Sakleshpur taluk, narrowly escaping from jaws of death. The passengers were later taken to their destinations by the Railway officials who arranged special KSRTC buses to ferry them. The presence of mind and alertness displayed by the loco pilot prevented the disaster and saved the lives of many passengers.
It was G. Shivaram, the loco pilot, who turned hero on that fateful night of Jan. 5, 2013 by becoming the saviour of hundreds of people who slept confidently in the Yeshwantpur-Mangalore-Kannur Express. Speaking to Star of Mysore at his residence in Ittigegud in city, Shivaram recalled that eerie moment when he just felt a sudden shift and slight descending of the wheels and fearing the worst, applied the emergency brakes to bring the train to a screeching halt. “I had no time to check what had caused it; if I had taken even a peep outside the window down at the track, it would have been akin to sounding a death knell for passengers and myself,” he recalled and added with humility: “I just did my duty.”
The 53-year-old Shivaram has been sincerely doing his duty not just at his work place but also at his home. A father of three children and one among the seven children of his parents, he lives in a joint family of 15 members and is the bread-winner for the family. Having passed SSLC, Shivaram joined Railways as a ‘D’ Group employee as Kalasi about 33 years ago and worked his way up the ladder to become a loco driver six years ago. However, his perseverance can be seen by the way he attends to his wife, who is bed-ridden since five years. His wife Nirmala suffers from a rare medical condition wherein her lungs take in just 65% of oxygen required for the body and the remaining has to be supplied through an oxygen cylinder. Among his three children, two boys have completed SSLC and PUC and are supporting the family by taking up jobs. His daughter is studying SSLC and aspires to become a doctor after seeing the condition of her mother. Shivaram’s family, who were in Arsikere earlier, had to shift to Mysore after his wife developed this rare illness as his family could not access proper medical facility in Arsikere. He spends about Rs. 7,000 to Rs. 8,000 on her treatment every month.
His alert act of saving 1,200 passengers wasn’t just a singular case in Shivaram’s career in Railways. He has helped other colleagues too beyond his line of duty. One such instance happened way back in 2007. It is said, when Shivaram, who was off duty, was travelling as a passenger, the train was stopped between Yedakumeri and Siribagilu as a huge tree branch had fallen on the track. The train was caught inside the tunnel. Shivaram immediately climbed down and began cutting and clearing the branches with the gang staff. His initiative to help others was appreciated and awarded by the Railways.
Recognising his presence of mind and alertness in preventing the recent tragedy, various organisations felicitated Shivaram. Rotary Mysore Midtown bestowed on him the ‘Real Life Hero’ award while Mangalore’s SCDCC Bank honoured him in the presence of Rajya Sabha member Oscar Fernandes.
The Railways started an enquiry into the incident under the guidance of the Commissioner of Railway Safety who has sent a report citing his bravery to the Railway Board in Delhi. The final report of the enquiry is awaited. Shivaram is among the rare breed of people who perform their duty efficiently and also something extra so that others can lead a life of happiness. His work ethics and alertness in performing his duty deserves to be emulated by one and all.