Mumbai man weds Guwahati woman on time, thanks to help from Railways
Kolkata/Guwahati, Nov 17: A Mumbai man managed to reach Guwahati on time to marry his lady love on Sunday, thanks to the help from railways that detained a connecting train in Howrah station and shifted the wedding guests to another train on battery-operated vehicles.
The groom and his relatives were getting anxious since Gitanjali Express from Mumbai, on which they were travelling, was getting late to reach Howrah. They were afraid of missing the Saraighat Express which would take them to Guwahati from there.
A member of the ‘baraat’ posted a message on the X handle of the railways, requesting help and that set the ball rolling and finally, the bride and the groom tied the knot without any more hassle.
Gitanjali Express was scheduled to arrive at Howrah at 1.05 pm on Friday, but it got delayed. Saraighat Express was scheduled to depart for Assam at 4:05 pm from Howrah station.
Following the post of Chandrashekhar D Wagh on X, the Howrah Divisional Railway Manager received an urgent message from higher authorities to do the needful, a senior official of the Eastern Railways told PTI.
The officials decided to delay the departure of Saraighat Express and ensured swift arrival of Gitanjali Express to Howrah.
As Gitanjali Express arrived at Howrah at 4.08 pm, railway authorities ensured swift movement of the 'baraat' members on battery-operated vehicles from platform number 24 in the new complex to platform number 9 in the old complex where the Saraighat Express was waiting for them, he said.
The groom and his relatives heaved a sigh of relief after boarding the train which chugged off to Guwahati after a delay of a few minutes.
"We got the help and support of all the passengers of the two trains and the Railway Minister, Chief Commercial Manager, DRM and other senior railway officials took every step to ensure the young groom did not miss his marriage," the ER official said.
"It is our moral responsibility to deliver services like these," he added.
The ER, in a post on X, said, "IR arranged to detain Saraighat Express at Howrah for a few minutes so that a marriage party with 'dulha' coming by Gitanjali Express and going to Guwahati can catch the train. The marriage party has expressed their thanks to Railways for this helping gesture."
Wagh is in Guwahati for his marriage, which took place on Sunday, in both Marathi and Assamese rituals.
"My son did his PhD from IIT Guwahati. At that time, he fell in love with an Assamese girl. We came all the way from Mumbai to welcome the beautiful bride into our family," the groom's mother Mangal Wagh told PTI from the wedding venue.
She said the entire family is grateful to Indian Railways, otherwise, they would not have reached on time for the ceremony.
"We have many aged people in the group who could not walk fast. The Howrah station officials really helped us," Wagh said.
She, however, said the groom with the newly-wed lady and other members of the family to leave Guwahati by flight on Tuesday as everyone would be tired after the ceremonies.
"Since morning, my son's marriage took place in Marathi customs. Now, it will be conducted through Assamese rituals throughout the night. We are very happy with the arrangements here," the mother said.
The 30-year-old groom Wagh, who got his PhD degree in Civil Engineering during this year's convocation from IIT Guwahati, is an Assistant Professor at Civil and Environmental Engineering Department of Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute in Mumbai.
With respect to above tweets I would like to inform that we all were able to catch the Sarighat express, I would like to express my deepest gratitude towards all the involved parties @AshwiniVaishnaw @RailMinIndia @EasternRailway @nerailwaygkp @drmhowrah @drmmumbaicr @railmedia
— Chandu (@chanduwagh21) November 15, 2024
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NITI Aayog's MMR blueprint a ploy to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra: Uddhav Thackeray
Mumbai, Nov 17: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday alleged that the NITI Aayog's blueprint to develop the metropolitan region was a ploy to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra by undermining the BMC's importance.
If voted to power, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will scrap the MoU signed between the World Economic Forum (WEF) and MMRDA as it is aimed at diminishing the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's importance, he said.
Addressing a rally at the BKC ground in Mumbai on the penultimate day before the campaigning for the assembly elections concluded, Thackeray said he wouldn't hesitate to disband the MMRDA (Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority) if it encroaches on the BMC's jurisdiction.
"A conspiracy to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra is not just a loose talk but an impending serious crisis. The ploy is real but we will never allow this to happen," he said.
Thackeray said the MMRDA and WEF signed an agreement in September to develop MMR (Mumbai Metropolitan Region) as a global economic hub which was signed after Niti Aayog's report on MMR development.
"The Niti Aayog's blueprint diminishes the importance of the Mumbai civic body which is a ploy to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra," he alleged.
Thackeray said the first decision of the MVA government will be to scrap policies of the (Mahayuti) government which handed over Mumbai's land to the Adani group.
The former chief minister said he was "not anti-development but is anti-destruction".
Thackeray claimed the MVA government headed by him was toppled (in June 2022) and Shiv Sena split because he had not allowed the looting of Maharashtra.
In an apparent reference to the Shiv Sena MLAs' disqualification case in the Supreme Court, saying, "The courts haven't given me justice. I seek justice from you for the sake of Maharashtra".
Thackeray said the BJP had to construct the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who had banned RSS, in Gujarat and seek votes in Maharashtra in Balasaheb Thackeray's name, which he said was "revenge of time".
Attacking PM Narendra Modi over the "Ek hai to Safe Hai" slogan, Thackeray said if people feel unsafe while Modi is at the helm then he should resign.
"Only corrupt and traitors feel safe when Modi is around," he alleged.
Thackeray said Maharashtra was facing a grave crisis as "airports, ports, electricity, mines, and schools are being handed over to Adani".
Urging people to support the MVA, Thackeray said Maharashtra will be destroyed if the Mahayuti returns to power.
Thackeray recalled Shiv Sena's support for the abrogation of Article 370 and Bal Thackeray sheltering Kashmiri pandits fleeing persecution.
"Amit Shah and Narendra Modi weren't known to the world at that time," he said.
Targeting the BJP over its poll campaign, he said the scrapping of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir doesn't impact Minimum Support Price, unemployment, and women's security in Maharashtra.
He said people of Gujarat should realise that Modi and Amit Shah have created a barrier between the western state and the rest of the country.
"How can they move projects from Maharashtra to Gujarat? You should stop them," he added.
