The Bullet Train:
An Intellectual Debate.
A Stronger View:
The Decisions regarding the Progress and development of the country, should primarily ought to be taken, keeping the basic needs, wants and well being of the man at the bottom of economic peramid. More over considering the pathetic status of the infrastructure and physical assets of Indian Railways on one side and virtually totally neglected public transport system in the country, trumpeting the fat, out of place dream of the Bullet Train should be the last priority. Add to that, down and out agriculture sector, with thousands of farmers' suicides, dangerous levels of unemployment, questionable civic facilities and services, the mountainous amount of over rupees one lac crores to be assigned for the Bullet Train in one corner of the country, can prove to be a totally out of place whim, like hasty unprepared demonatisation. Just for gaining name, fame and glory, going in with zest, haste for such a white elephant, like the Bullet Train project would amount to keeping at stake, the future of the Gen Next. With that let's hope that prudence would sooner than latter, prevail upon the policy makers and this totally unwanted balon at this stage, would burst there and then.
A Diluted View:
We certainly do not need the Bullet Trains at this stage, although such projects do bring in various benefits in the long run. When Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru invested heavily in Automic Energy projects & Space Technology development immediately after our independence, everyone had made hue & cry about it, since we were then a poor underdeveloped country. But then, after so many decades, see the results.
The reasons for this BT project are quite different. It can be viewed, as an effort to get in league with Japan, in the light of current Asian Regional politics which is becoming very critical & dangerous. We have third largest Railway network in the World. And for the last 25/30 years no steps were taken to modernize existing tracks & other infrastructure. Just find out Railway Board's recommendations year after year, which were overlooked for cheap publicity & for appeasement of people at large by starting trains after trains to & from various destinations depending upon who was railway minister. The railway was heavily subsidized & there was constant attempt, to reduce tariffs without making any efforts to increase railway earnings. Instead of going in for the BT project at this juncture, we must make planned efforts to modernize and build up accidents free, Railway network, in steps, for making it self-sufficient money-wise without subsidies. The job is very difficult but a real top priority.
The Agriculture sector, certainly requires more proactive approach & unconventional actions in the light of unstable climatic conditions every year. The Farmers' suicides is a totally different and difficult issue. The Farm loan wavers is not an answer but supportive heavy investments to build up strong infrastructure in both the supply and demand for this sector, is the immediate need.
As for overhauling of the Public Transport in the country, we need well co-ordinated all round efforts involving not only, the Central and State Govts but Municipalities and other local Govt bodies.
Finally, to conclude, all we need, is to set our priorities right. Therefore, Railways, Public Transport and Agricultural Sector should be and must be our top most priorities and the Bullet Train Project can wait till we set 'our house' to the World Class order in the above areas. We must remember at this juncture a famous saying:
'First Deserve and then only Desire'.
These two studied views are an attempt to take a bird's eye view about the BT project, which focusses the need for a National debate, followed by concessus for such kind of hyper investment project.
