Central Railway pointswoman raises three children alone over 14 years on the job
Rupali Siddharth Khare joined the railway on compassionate grounds after her husband died, and has since handled tough duties, including collecting remains after accidents.
In the dead of night, with darkness all around and the remains of bodies scattered on the tracks after an accident, many would be shaken by the sight. A woman in Central Railway has carried out her duty in such conditions without fear. She also took on the extremely difficult task of collecting bodily remains after rail accidents. She is Rupali Siddharth Khare, a pointswoman with Central Railway.
Khare has completed 14 years in railway service while bringing up three young children after her husband's untimely death. On the seventh day of Shardiya Navratri, she spoke openly about the difficult work on the railway, the calamity in her life, her struggle for her children and her resolve not to break under hard circumstances.
Her struggle began with the sudden loss of her husband, who died of a heart attack about 16 years ago. The tragedy came as a heavy blow. The family's support was suddenly gone, and the entire responsibility of raising three small children fell on her. She was only 20 to 22 years old then. At that young age, the grief of losing her husband, the children's future and the question of running the household all confronted her at once.
Even so, she did not give in and steadied herself. When the railway offered her a job on compassionate grounds, she accepted it. She entered the railway with the aim of giving her children a good education, building their future and putting the family back on its feet.
Her railway career began at Dadar station in Mumbai, which is extremely crowded. Dadar is an important station on both the Central and Western Railways, so large numbers of passengers pass through all day. Working amid constantly running local trains, crowds of passengers, responsibilities linked to train operations and sudden emergencies is not easy.
Khare worked with confidence from the start. Whether it was an accident, a train being halted or a dispute at the station, she never turned away from her responsibility. Speaking of her duty, she says, "I have never done this job out of fear. Whatever the situation, I went forward and did the work." Her experiences at Dadar made her stronger. She was later transferred to Matunga station when it was developed as a "Pink Station" run by women.
A pointsman's work on the railway is not limited to running trains. In some situations, they have to face extremely difficult occasions. The conditions after an accident on the tracks are deeply disturbing. In such cases, necessary work has to be completed in coordination with the departments concerned. Khare said that on such occasions she also took on the difficult task of collecting bodily remains. Even with the horrifying scene of death before her, she steeled herself and did her work.
Khare is originally from Pune, and often has to make the long journey from Pune to Mumbai for work. Her routine is to travel by train from Pune to Mumbai in the morning, work a shift from evening until the next morning, and then return towards Pune. Railway work is physically and mentally tiring, and the fatigue of the long journey comes on top of it. Still, because of her family responsibilities and dedication to her work, she carries on with her duty. Sometimes she stays with an aunt in Malad, Mumbai, while on duty. She has to struggle constantly to balance travel, work and household responsibilities.
Khare has two daughters and a son. The elder daughter is pursuing higher studies, the younger is in Class 12 and the son is in Class 10. She raised and educated all three on her own after her husband's death. The children are aware of their mother's struggle. Khare says they are proud of her. "Mummy, you worked very hard for us. When we grow up, we will give you rest," the children tell her, and hearing those words gives her new strength. Her children's love and trust, and her dream of making them capable, have been the biggest inspiration in her life.
In these 14 years of railway service, Khare has carried out her duties through many difficult occasions. In recognition of her courageous and dedicated work, she has been honoured by the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM). Despite seeing many hard moments in railway work, she has not given up her resolve.
Speaking of her struggle, Khare also stressed the importance of humanity. Her message is: "Humanity is the greatest thing. If someone is in trouble, rush to help. Whether they belong to the railway or are outsiders, as human beings it is essential to stand by one another." Despite facing many hardships herself, she has kept her spirit of helping others.
Khare shared the struggles of her personal life along with her experiences of railway work. In this conversation she emerged in many roles: a mother who raised three children without breaking after her husband's death, a railway employee who works with courage in difficult moments, and a sensitive woman who gives a message of humanity.
Mumbai's local trains are part of the lives of millions of passengers. But the contribution of the staff who work behind the scenes to keep the system running often goes unnoticed. Women like Rupali Siddharth Khare are an important part of this system. She has kept moving forward, overcoming her husband's untimely death, the responsibility of three children, the hard railway duty and the exhausting Pune-Mumbai commute.
