Railway Stations and Retiring Rooms

The introduction of toilets in Trains
The story of ‘JUST AS I AM DOING NUISANCE……’

My endorsement of retiring rooms in railway stations continues, even more so now after my stay, earlier this week, at the retiring room of the Bangalore City railway station.

Looks like the station has outsourced the retiring rooms to 3rd party. The rooms have a fresh, clean look and is quite refreshing. There are old historic train stories outside every room.

Ramanujam Sridhar’s article in Brand Line(Business Line) today 15/11/07 talked about the value, readers can bring to the society through their letters to the editor.

And inside the bathroom of the retiring room I stayed, I found a laminated board with this 'nuisance story'…...

Here goes the story:

Toilets were introduced on Indian trains only after this passenger, Okhit Chandra Sen, wrote a letter to the Divisional Traffic Superintendent Sahabgunj Divisional Office, in 1909, complaining about how he missed the train when he got down to attend the call of nature.

Reproduced below as is, is a letter the passenger wrote almost a 100 years ago - a little humourous in language but very significant in its contribution to passenger comfort on the Indian Railways.

UNEDITED LETTER

Beloved Sir,

I am arrive by passenger train at Ahmedpore station and my belly is too much swelling with jackfruit.

I am therefore sent to privy. Just as I am doing the nuisance that guard making whistle blow for train to go off and I am running with Lota in one hand and dhoti in the next when I fall over and expose all my shockings to many female women on the platform I got leaved on Ahmedpore Station.

This is too much bad for passengers go to make dung that dam guard not wait train for five minutes for him. I am therefore praying otherwise I am making big report to papers. Pray your honour to make big fine on that dam guard for public sake otherwise I am making big report to papers

Without Okhit Chandra Sen’s letter, we may not have had toilets in trains!!!