Shot 18.3: 

Question: For how long have been station master of Gajuwala railway station?

Answer: Around three years, I am incharge of Gajuwala railway station. 

Question: What do you know about Surat Singh. Do you have something to share about him?

Answer: About Surat Singh, even previous station master told me about him. I also know about him and since I belong to same village from where Surat Singh, I know the whole story. In past time, the train has stopped coming to railway station in Gajuwala due to low sale of tickets. To meet the set target, he purchased the tickets and get the train started again. He bought ticket even when he never used to ply but for the sake of train to come at station, he did so. When train was stopped, passengers had to face lots of struggle since there was no other means of transport. Even bus was not frequent to nearby cities like Hisar only train is the medium to travel. 

Question: For how long train did not come to railway station?

Answer: It was stopped for quite long time. Say, two to three months, train did not come. Surat Singh bought tickets from his own pocket, it counted 10, 20 and sometime even 100 tickets.

Question: Does train run smoothly now?

Answer: Yes, now it runs smoothly. 

Shot 18.1

Q: Whats your complete name?

A: Surat Singh

Q: How often do you travel in train in a month?

A: Four of five times in a month. Sometime to Tohana or to Hisar.

Q: Then, why did you buy tickets in big number then?

A: The station earning was quite low. Officers started saying that due to low sale of tickets, station would have to close down. I told them that I would complete the number of tickets, you just continue train services regulary. 

Q: What made you think to buy tickets like this?

A: It struck to my mind that owing to railway station, the name of my village figures in the country having railway station. To keep it going, I took the initiative to buy tickets for the railway station to continue. Even people from across the country can find that Gajuwala railway station exist in Ludhiana-Hisar section of railways. 

Q: Do you some memories attached with railway station?

A: About memories, all my relatives, near and dear ones use this platform for travelling to city and other places. Whenver someone from outside wants to come, the name of Gajuwala railway station is told as landmark. The facility should continue for them is my wish. 

Q: For how long have been buying tickets like this?

A: This is what I am doing for last 20 years. 

Q: What is your occupation?

A: I am a farmer and does agriculture to live.

Q: So, you use agriculture income to buy tickets?

A: Yes from this agriculture income only.

Q: When you started your struggle. What kind of response did you get from co-villagers, neighbours and officials of railway department? What they used to say?

A: Some villagers went with me to take follow up of starting railway station again after train stopped coming. Once they went to Delhi and once to Ambala. After that, I continued the struggle on my own. Officials of railway department said something when village panchayat went to meet them but when I went again for follow-up, their response was something else. But I continued my struggle. Aman Kumar Nagra was the MP from Ambala. Kailasho Saini was MP from Kurukshetra and Surinder Singh Barwala was MP from Hisar, Ram Chander Bainda was MP from Faridabad and Sushil Kumar Indora was MP from Sirsa. My work was done by Ram Chander Bainda of BJP. He listened to my grievances and ordered for resumption of train to Gajuwala. 

Q: Did you family members support you or not during this struggle?

A: My family supported me a lot. They never stopped me from going to places and meet people for this. They asked to get the station run again. 

Shot 18.3

Q: Whats your name?

A: Gopal Krishan

Q: What do you know of Surat Singh and Gajuwala station?

A: I know Surat Singh because he is the person who paid money from his own pocket and get the station from being scrapped after railway issued notice due to low sale of tickets. The station is used by school students who travel in train. It has become quite good facility for them. Earlier, they had to depand on bus services but now they reach their place through train and thus their journey remain trouble free. 

Shot 18.2

Q: What's your name?

A: Dharmpal 

Q: What do you know of Gajuwala railway station?

A: It was built in 1962. It was closed down for some years and villagers made efforts to get it started. Surat Singh, who is a social activist played a key role in this process. He thinks good of village. By paying from his pocket, he kept the train services to this station going. By train it takes 50 minutes to reach Hisar city. In bus, we have to stop at Uklana and many other steps and it was time consuming. Surat Singh thought about this and worked in this direction so that villagers keep getting facility of train to them. When villagers meet officials of railway department, we were told that the ticket counter do not make required number of ticket sale target. Surat Singh was the person who paid for remaining tickets to meet the target of minimum sale of ticket to railway department. And in this way, train services restarted again. Today, students, villagers and others are taking advantage of rail facilities. Girls who had to go to school use this facility otherwise bus journey is quite challenging for them and due to tensed atmosphere parents fear sending them by bus. By train they can travel safely.