53-year-old disabled coolie runs 6km to avert major train mishap in Udupi

Harsha Raj Gatty | coastaldigest.com
October 31, 2018

Neglecting his limping leg, a 53-year-old coolie worker raced 6 kms to alert railway authorities of a broken track and averted a major railway mishap at Udupi last Saturday. By the time the railway team reached the spot, the earlier gap in the track had already widened and the train bound from Goa was on arrival.

Diagnosed with a nerve issue in his right-leg over a year ago, Krishna Poojary was at the habit of walking barefoot on the gravel stone-bed on the railway track for quite some time. "I am under injections and medications. However, as a therapeutic relief the doctor had advised me to walk on the gravel stones, as it would relax my leg muscle. Since I stay close to the track at Korangrapady, I have made it a point to walk on it on a daily basis. Otherwise, besides the train there is no other person in that area at any point of time," he says.

A little over 06.30 am on Saturday, Poojary was on his regular routine, when he noticed a crack at Brahmasthana in Korangrapady. "Since, I could not seek anyone's help, I quickly started pacing towards the Indrali railway station," he says. Despite the seething pain, Poojary claims that he was able to reach the station office in 30 minutes.

At the station, Poojary apprised the railway personnel about the track condition. The officials immediately alerted higher authorities and within 40-minutes the team led by Poojary reached the spot for inspection. "By the time we reached, the track had already widened. It was later learnt that unaware of the danger a goods train had somehow managed to pass in the meanwhile," Poojary said.

On learning that a train from Goa was en-route, the railway authorities instantly contacted other stations and informed them about the impending danger, while simultaneously fixing the track. "In a short while, we informed other trains to pass. But we had advised them to slow their speed, since temporary emergency devices were put in place to avert the sudden danger," a railway official said.

Generally a coolie worker, off season Krishnappa dubs himself as a cook at a local eatery called 'Cool Point’ at Korangrapady. On being asked, how did he manage to be committed to the cause despite the injury, Krishnappa recounts his memory of witnessing a 40-year-old railway incident at Nelamangala.

“During those days when education was a luxury, this boy who worked with us at a shack as a waiter had successfully finished his graduation and was returning home. He was de-boarding a running train at Nelamangala station, when his bag got stuck in one of the hinges at the boogie door and he was pulled back to the fast moving vehicle. The scene of the body being dragged and crushed is still fresh in my mind, as we watched helplessly," he said. Poojary adds that he is constantly plagued by the thought of the incident. "I would have never been able to forgive myself if something had happened this time. I believe, the emotions made me forget my pain and I did not even realise my leg mattered until I reached and alerted the railway officials," he says.

Felicitation

Recognising his heroic effort, the Konkan Railway will felicitate Krishna Poojary at his home on October 31. “We appreciate the trouble he took us to inform about the crack and we will felicitate him for his noble work,” Konkan Railway PRO Sudha Krishnamurthy told media.

Comments

I'm truly enjoying the design and layout of your site. It's a very easy on the eyes which makes it much more pleasant for
me to come here and visit more often. Did you hire out a developer to create your theme?
Exceptional work!

Shameless liar. Don’t you feel shy to tell such lies? He doesn’t even know what is sangh parivar. He is an honest coolie worker. I know him very well. He had worked for me also.

Naren Kotian
 - 
Wednesday, 31 Oct 2018

A big salute to Krishna Poojary, a proud karyakartha of Sangh Parivar. This teaching of Sangh parivar is behind this noble deed. Sadly newsportals like CD hide the fact that he is a Sangh Parivar worker.

Sandeep Ullal
 - 
Wednesday, 31 Oct 2018

True humanity. 

Subbu Acharya
 - 
Wednesday, 31 Oct 2018

Wow.. great. he deseves highest award for his effort

Shahjahan, Ma…
 - 
Wednesday, 31 Oct 2018

I fully agree with Sri Vasantha Bangera. Sri Poojary deserves award not less than the award of Karnataka Rajyotsava for his heroic act.

Mahesh
 - 
Wednesday, 31 Oct 2018

The Great Indian Man!,...

Vasantha Bangera
 - 
Wednesday, 31 Oct 2018

He deserves Rajyotsava award and a huge reward. Not just felicitation by railways. It is the responsibility of the Udupi district administration and elected representatives to recognise this noble man.

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
June 3,2020

Bengaluru, Jun 3: Lack of awareness on rail travel norms led to a tense situation on a Karnataka train as a female passenger was forced to disembark midway after her fellow passengers raised a hue and cry on seeing her knuckle stamped, mistaking it for a quarantine stamp, an official said on Tuesday.

"Many passengers on the train with the woman raised a hue and cry on seeing her stamped and complained to the TTE. She was later disembarked at Tumkur," a South Western Railway (SWR) zone official said.

The woman was travelling from Bengaluru to Belagavi as a transit passenger. Her status as such a passenger was stamped on her knuckle.

However, after some time, her fellow passengers observed her stamped hand and misunderstood that she was violating the quarantine norms.

Without realising that she was just a transit passenger who will be quarantined on reaching her destination, they created pandemonium and complained to the travelling ticket inspector.

"Following the public pressure, she was forcibly disembarked in Tumkur station," said the official.

Incidentally, the railways allows transit passengers to travel.

The official said the TTE would not have been aware of the rules and must have yielded to the passengers' pressure.

Later, the woman was allowed to board another train and reach her destination, the official said.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
June 18,2020

Mysuru, Jun 18: The Karnataka government's proposal announced on Thursday to hold online classes for students amid concerns over COVID-19 has not gone down well with thousands of tribal students residing in villages across the state.

A team from Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) visited a few tribal hamlets in Mysuru and Kodagu recently and found that the students, unlike their urban counterparts, lack accessibility to not just smartphones and computers, but basic necessities like power supply.

''When such is the situation in the tribal hamlets, how can you expect students to catch up on their studies if classes are held online?'' wondered M L Parashurama Member, KSCPCR, who toured villages like Thithimathi, Beematagere, Devamachchi and Gaddadi in Kodagu's Virajpet taluk, besides Bavali, Balyadi, Machchuru, and Anemone in Mysuru's HD Kote taluk along with Chairperson Antony Sebastian.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
coastaldigest.com web desk
May 22,2020

Newsroom, May 22: Countless netizens including Indians have hailed the action taken by Jazan University of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia against a high-ranking Indian expatriate who had posted called Indian Muslims as radicals.  

Social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook flooded with appreciation after the University announced on Twitter that the professor, who had posted objectionable messsages, had been fired. The university, however, did not disclose the name of the professor. 

On its Twitter account, Jazan University wrote, “Based on what was monitored by the university about the publication of a contracted faculty member for offensive posts and tweets, his registration has already been folded. #JazanUniversity affirms that it resolutely addresses any perverted or extremist ideas that affect the constants or violate the directions of good leadership.”

After the university’s announcement, many on Twitter posted screenshots of the communal tweets claiming that the professor is Neeraj Bedi and made it clear that the dismissed professor is an Indian.

Bedi has been working as full time Professor in Faculty of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in Jazan University for years.

In his Twitter account, which does not currently exist, he was praising PM Modi and spewing poison against Islam and holding Muslims responsible for the spread of Coronavirus. It is believed that the account was deleted after the protests became severe.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.