Railway red-flags Kamal Haasan’s plan to meet supporters at Vaigai Express halts in Chennai
CHENNAI: Top politicians using train trips to create a buzz by meeting followers at each halt for a few minutes has been done n-number of times. But when Makkal Needhi Maiam head Kamal Haasan chose to try it out from Chennai Egmore to Tiruchy, the railway administration and a section of people chose to show the red flag.
A party press release issued on March 23 said Kamal had scheduled a trip to Tiruchy from Chennai by Vaigai Express on Tuesday. Since it would halt at Tambaram, Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Vriddhachalam, Ariyalur and Tiruchy, supporters could meet him at those stations, the press release suggested.
A week later, on March 31, a group of people submitted a petition to the Southern Railway opposing Kamal’s plan, saying it would affect rail passengers.
“The train should not be converted as a platform for political canvassing... When Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan held similar fan meetings at a railway station, two persons died in the stampede,” said a petition submitted by three persons, including one Savithri Kannan of Chennai.
Officials faulted Kamal’s party for not seeking prior permission for holding meetings at railway stations.
Rail passengers association said such celebrity meetings at railway stations would hinder passengers movement. In particular, women and elderly will certainly face a lot of hardship to board the train.
A Giri, a member of Tiruchy Divisional Rail Users Consultative Committee (DRUCC) said safety and convenience of passengers are railway’s responsibility.
“Before granting permission, railways must come up with a plan taking safety of passengers and visitors into an account. Such meetings will also set a bad precedent for converting trains for commercial advertisements at the cost of passengers’ convenience,” he said.
Southern railway officials said such public meetings by celebrities at railway stations without prior permission are against railway norms.
“We have not sanctioned any special permission for actor Kamal Haasan to meet his fans at railway stations. He will be travelling as a rail passenger in chair car coach of Vaigai Express. The press statement issued by his party is against railway norms,” a senior railway official told Express.
It learnt that Southern Railway officials have instructed Government railway police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) to take action, if anybody blocked the train doors disrupting passengers movement at stations.
Railway officials orally communicated to Kamal Haasan’s representatives that he has not obtained permission and if any undesirable incident occurred, he will be made responsible, said official sources.
Responding to this, on Saturday evening Kamal tweeted that his plan to mingle with people had been politicised. “I am aware that trains are not a stage for politics. We will do it without causing any hindrance to public....Will meet at Tiruchy,” read the tweet.
Explaining the tweet, the official media coordinator of MNM Mandvi Sharma said on March 23, the party only shared its president’s tour plan in train to Tiruchy. “We did not ask the supporters to meet him at stations,” she claimed.