Lalu Prasad and the Railway

This is an image change that qualifies for serious study. In the popular imagination, often embellished by media images, Lalu Prasad the politician is often laughed at for his "rustic" persona. Now Railway Minister Lalu has gone to the Indian Institute of Management at Ahmedabad to talk about the turnaround of the Indian Railway.

If commanders hold the key to the victories of armies, Lalu must certainly be commended for the book profits that the Railways have shown in the past year. It is of course, another matter that the Indian Railway -- even with an impressive record of moving millions -- is far from perfect. I have carried several pictures in the other posts on this.

But without pessimism or cynicism, let us hope that Lalu will preside over an administration that will professionalise and modernise the railways and attract more people to undertake train travel. That he will provide the ageing and antiquated suburban railway stations of Chennai with escalators, lifts, clean entrances, eating places, ticketing booths, park and ride centres, information systems on train shedules, routes and system maps.

Lalu's speech in Parliament on the Railways, during the budget presentation is worth reading, in the light of the kudos he is now receiving. It is found here.