Oldies like me still remember Johny Walker singing Maalish, Tel Maalish, Champi in Guru Dutt's classic 'Pyasa': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJiohcg-gKo
And now we have a news that railways are going to introduce massage in its train. First I mis-read it as 'message' and thought that now there would be good Wi-Fi connectivity in the trains.
But alas no. It is about 'head' massage and 'foot' massage.
Planning is about setting your priorities. Though I am a great admirer of Indian Railways (IR), but I do not quite understand their priorities. What are railways for? For transporting people (and goods) from one station to another. So obviously what is important is the railway journey and not the five or ten minutes that one may be spending on the railways stations. But sadly, IR thinks otherwise. It wants to make the railways stations look like airports even if for doing this it has to take financial and technical help from foreign countries.
And as if this were not enough, they are starting masssage services. May be they think that some people who go to some foreign countries to get 'massage' done would now flock to the trains of IR instead.
They are planning to monetize these services and hope to earn about Rs. 20 lakhs per year from this.
For this 3-5 masseurs would be provided in each train. Of course I have some doubts:
(i) Would a cadre of 'masseurs' be introduced in the already bloated manpower of the railways?
(ii) Since one can not discriminate on the basis of sex, so the same service will have to be provided to interested lady passengers too. So there would be a seperate cadre of 'Lady Masseurs' too?
(iii) Would they be sporting a seperate uniform?
(iv) Recruitment Rules will have to be put in place for these two cadres;
(v) Would Railway Board conduct the recruitment exams or a separate organisation be set up for that?
(vi) Would the recruitment process also include a demonstration of massaging skills by the candidates?
(vii) Would there be a separate set of Conduct Rules for masseurs;
(viii) Would a centralized Training Institute be set up to train them?
(ix) Would they be sent abroad to study methods of massaging in various countries.
(x) What would be the promotional avenues for these cadres- posts of 'Head Masseurs' and 'Principal Head Masseurs'?
(xi) Who would write the annual confidential reports of these personnel- persons who avail of this service or the TTE?
(xii) Would they be entitled to pensionry benefits and yearly bonus?
(xiii) Would the massaging facilities be provided in all classes (Imagine passengers in Shatabadi trains getting massaging in full view of the 70 passengers of the coach 😆?)
I am sure I have missed out quite a few problem areas.
My Take:
(i) Please improve the level of cleanliness in the railways instead of coming out with such original schemes.
(ii) Mandate of the railways is NOT to provide massaging facilities but to efficiently transport people and goods.
And now we have a news that railways are going to introduce massage in its train. First I mis-read it as 'message' and thought that now there would be good Wi-Fi connectivity in the trains.
But alas no. It is about 'head' massage and 'foot' massage.
Planning is about setting your priorities. Though I am a great admirer of Indian Railways (IR), but I do not quite understand their priorities. What are railways for? For transporting people (and goods) from one station to another. So obviously what is important is the railway journey and not the five or ten minutes that one may be spending on the railways stations. But sadly, IR thinks otherwise. It wants to make the railways stations look like airports even if for doing this it has to take financial and technical help from foreign countries.
And as if this were not enough, they are starting masssage services. May be they think that some people who go to some foreign countries to get 'massage' done would now flock to the trains of IR instead.
They are planning to monetize these services and hope to earn about Rs. 20 lakhs per year from this.
For this 3-5 masseurs would be provided in each train. Of course I have some doubts:
(i) Would a cadre of 'masseurs' be introduced in the already bloated manpower of the railways?
(ii) Since one can not discriminate on the basis of sex, so the same service will have to be provided to interested lady passengers too. So there would be a seperate cadre of 'Lady Masseurs' too?
(iii) Would they be sporting a seperate uniform?
(iv) Recruitment Rules will have to be put in place for these two cadres;
(v) Would Railway Board conduct the recruitment exams or a separate organisation be set up for that?
(vi) Would the recruitment process also include a demonstration of massaging skills by the candidates?
(vii) Would there be a separate set of Conduct Rules for masseurs;
(viii) Would a centralized Training Institute be set up to train them?
(ix) Would they be sent abroad to study methods of massaging in various countries.
(x) What would be the promotional avenues for these cadres- posts of 'Head Masseurs' and 'Principal Head Masseurs'?
(xi) Who would write the annual confidential reports of these personnel- persons who avail of this service or the TTE?
(xii) Would they be entitled to pensionry benefits and yearly bonus?
(xiii) Would the massaging facilities be provided in all classes (Imagine passengers in Shatabadi trains getting massaging in full view of the 70 passengers of the coach 😆?)
I am sure I have missed out quite a few problem areas.
My Take:
(i) Please improve the level of cleanliness in the railways instead of coming out with such original schemes.
(ii) Mandate of the railways is NOT to provide massaging facilities but to efficiently transport people and goods.
