Veteran railway activist Harsha Shah recently celebrated 61 years of a life dedicated to a public cause On February 13,when 61-year-old Harsha Shah,president of the Railway Pravasi Sangh,Pune,received the Hind Bhushan award from the Kohinoor Foundation,Mumbai,she exulted,This will only spur me on to put in more efforts to seek increased convenience and safety for lakhs of railway commuters in Pune. It all began when her uncle,Kantilal Shah,took a five-year-old Harsha to the Pune railway station to celebrate the birthday of the Pune-Mumbai Deccan Queen. "That was the first time I had seen a train," recalls Shah. Shah has since religiously celebrated the Queen's birthday every year. Railway activists like her spare no effort in draping the Queen in what many may even call bridal finery. Sweets are distributed,dhol-tashas and slogans ring in the air as the Queen leaves Pune station. Going beyond the birthdays,Shah has taken railway activism to a new high. In a city where every nook and cranny flaunts an activist,Shah stands out,not only for raising a demand but also for ensuring that it is fulfilled in the course of time. Over the years,the number of trains from Pune have gone up manifold,thanks to activists like Shah and others,who have pursued the cause of commuter convenience. We have been instrumental in starting several long-distance trains from Pune. It has been a hard struggle as railways take their own time to respond. But we too have remained determined, she says. She has no faith in rail rokos or loud sloganeering. Our agitations involve meeting officials,holding discussions and trying to make them understand the need for commuter convenience. This is done repeatedly,forcing them to accede to our demands, she says. If railway activism has remained high on her life's agenda,Shah has also being an animal lover to the hilt. Her house near Ganapati Chowk on Laxmi Road is full of cats and dogs in whom she has invested her life's savings. They are my companion for her life, she gushes. Ten years back,Shah created history when she approached the Bombay High Court against cruelty towards strays dogs. In response,the high court put an end to the way stray dogs were killed by civic bodies. Today,it's become a norm. Shah has also been a successful small-scale businesswoman,selling papads and other homemade products. I have helped several other women start their own businesses. Shah has never been married,just so that all her energies are poured into her pet cause. My mother,Kesharbai,and uncle,Kantilal,were very close to me. I did everything for them before they passed away, she says,even as her eyes moisten. In spite of all that has been achieved and is on the path to be realised,one regret remains unresolved in Shah's heart. As a railway activist,I will consider myself successful only when the railways department increase the frequency of Pune-Lonavala local trains. This demand has remained unrealised for years. Hopefully,this budget will change that."
