The 2,900 km (1,800 mile) journey from the capital New Delhi to Kanyakumari in the south is one of India’s longest rail journeys, passing through cities, villages, bushland and deep valleys.
The 22-car Thirukkural Express is a microcosm of India, carrying passengers from a variety of social groups and religions, from immigrants crammed into scorching hot, no-frills cars to the wealthy living in luxury in air-conditioned cars. Even his family members have a wide range of ambitions and grievances. Sleeper cabins and everyone in between.
Passenger interests may also be divided by politics, as the world’s most populous country holds a huge election and Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks an unprecedented third term.
India’s economy has grown rapidly under Modi, but the heavy-handed tactics he has deployed to advance his Hindu nationalist agenda have led to a decline in India’s population of 1.4 billion people (about 200 million of whom are Muslims). Religious divisions in the country have become sharper, and there are growing concerns about economic collapse. From secular democracy to religious dictatorship.
Many of the passengers who bought the cheapest tickets were migrants from across the country, who sat on iron benches, stood in doorways or lay on the floor, traveling between the thriving capital and rural villages or other cities in search of work.
Pardeep Kumar, a bespectacled food stall owner in New Delhi, said the ruling Modi government was not doing enough to help the poor.
Like millions of Indians living in the informal economy, Kumar is feeling the pain of soaring food prices. He is grateful that he receives 5 kg (11 pounds) of free grain each month from the government as part of a program to alleviate poverty and assist the large number of unemployed people.
But he wants the government to focus more on improving education and providing better healthcare.
“We don’t want free food,” said Kumar, who visited a village in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh with his family. With better education, he says, “we can earn our own money and support our families.”
Kumar is a supporter of the opposition Indian National Congress, but knows it will face a tough battle against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“10 years, [BJP] It was about Hindus and Muslims, temples and mosques,” Kumar said. “And if you raise your voice against this, you will be arrested.”
Rishipal Chaudhary, a man with a wiry goatee and a few steps down, objected.
Chaudhary, a locomotive driver who travels to the southern city of Madurai for work, believes Prime Minister Modi has improved the country. For example, he said crimes against women have decreased and schools have better teachers and equipment, changes that are benefiting his daughter.
“I’ve loved him from the beginning,” Chaudhary said, a sentiment echoed by many of the passengers crowding around him.
As the train passed through the heart of India, passing through Agra, a city famous for its 17th-century Taj Mahal mausoleum, a man moved down the aisle and shouted, “Tea!” tea! Please bring me some tea! ”
A step up from basic service, the more comfortable and slightly more affordable sleeper cars were filled with passengers sitting in the lower berths. Some people were perched on folding beds. They discussed politics to kill time.
“Times have changed. Ten, 20 years ago, we were one, but now we are divided,” said Haji Abdul Subhan, burying his flowing beard in the newspaper he was reading. Told.
Subhan, 74, a Muslim former railway employee, was traveling to the central Indian city of Bhopal.
Since PM Modi took office, many Muslims have experienced discomfort and Subhan listed some of the insults perpetrated by the government. Banning Islamic schools in some states. Limiting the volume of speakers in mosques.
“Efforts are being made to create problems for us. We cannot even speak freely,” he said.
He was interrupted by Santosh Kumar Agarwal, clad in a cotton vest, who was sitting cross-legged on the top bunk and listening to Subhan’s concerns.
“He speaks the language of Pakistan,” Agarwal said, criticizing Muslims, who make up 14% of the population. A stinging suggestion: If you’re unhappy with the government, move to Muslim-majority Pakistan.
Agarwal, a Hindu, has voted for the Bharatiya Janata Party for decades. He said that under the Modi government, India is reaching new heights.
What about Subhan’s concerns?
“do you understand, [Muslims] We may be facing problems,” Agarwal said. “We have no problems at all.”
And the demolition of Muslim property? “They are [Muslims] “They snatched public lands under the previous administration. That’s why they are crying now,” he said.
As the train traveled south, the terrain became greener and the farms grew larger. The homes of the wealthy stood out as the landscape swept by.
For several more hours on board, the highest-paid passengers removed freshly starched white bedding from the brown paper bags delivered to their bunks.
Nikunj Garg, a medical professional, is concerned about rising unemployment and problems in the education system. She believes the quality of life of all Indians should improve. “It’s the little things that matter most,” she said.
Samodra Meena, one slot ahead, questioned the Modi government’s hallmark government policies, which are said to be women-friendly, such as access to clean drinking water and cooking gas, and said they were not good for families. “I want a change of government,” she said.
Mahadev Prasad was also in the same vehicle. Prasad and his family were planning to go to Madurai, one of India’s oldest cities known for its Hindu temples. He carried holy water from the Ganges as an offering to one of the temples.
Prasad is confident that Modi will return to power for a rare third term. He welcomed the government’s decision to strip Muslim-majority Indian-administered Kashmir of its semi-autonomous status. He also supports Mr. Modi’s decision to increase spending on infrastructure and build Hindu temples on top of demolished mosques.
Has his life as a businessman improved?
“Every industry has slowed down. Some in my area are closed,” he said. But for Prasad, Modi has achieved something important.
Citing a widely held theory among Modi supporters, he argues: “Indians used to not get much respect while traveling abroad. But now we are respected.”
Vinoth Kumar, who was sitting next to Prasad, didn’t seem too impressed.
Kumar, 32, a telecoms engineer from the southern Indian city of Tiruchirappalli, is a staunch critic of Modi’s government, who he says has exacerbated divisions along linguistic, ethnic and religious lines due to his Hindu-first policies.
Mr. Kumar predicts that if Mr. Modi wins another term, “this country will become secular.”
At the end of the day, the hustle and bustle on the train had turned to whispers. More passengers disembarked before the train made its final stop at Kanyakumari’s vast beaches. The beach was becoming crowded with hundreds of men and women stepping into the water.
They held hands and looked east as the sun rose over the horizon.
