Stakeholder
noun
a person such as an employee, customer, or citizen who is involved with an organization, society, etc., and therefore has responsibilities towards it and an interest in its success.
A panoramic view of a bustling railway station or a busy bus terminal will mostly comprise a melange of people. In one corner is a bus conductor whistling and beckoning passengers to board, while in another is a porter skilfully juggling a massive suitcase on his head and at least five smaller ones in his sturdy hands.
A step onto the platform, and we see a vendor doling out a string of snacks while scanning the crowd for some more customers, and an alert black-robed ticket collector stopping every suspicious passenger in their tracks.
Although they are divided by their distinct roles, for Railway Children India (RCI), these individuals represent a combined force, who when united form the strongest safety net—one that does not let any child slip onto the street. Playing a vital part in RCI’s motto of Leaving No Child Behind, these individuals are key stakeholders. Over the years, RCI’s collaboration with Indian Railways has evolved manifold with RCI being appointed the key resource agency on child protection by the Indian Railways, and co-creating SOPs with them. The collaboration and coordination of railway stakeholders can, therefore, result in the creation of safe, child-friendly transport spaces.
Let’s get to know each of them with their outstanding contributions to RCI’s mission so far.
- Sanitation Workers and Coolies
Shouldering the humongous responsibility of keeping transport hubs clean, sanitation workers are arguably among the most important stakeholders of a strong, committed safety network. Active 24×7 around all corners of a transport terminal, they have a hawk-eyed approach to identifying an at-risk child. “Countless times, alert workers have walked up to RCI’s outreach teams with observations of abandoned children on platforms, foot-over-bridges, waiting rooms, and several other nooks and crannies of massive railway stations” shares Mr. Pawan Kumar, Project Co-Ordinator at Delhi Sarai Rohilla and Delhi Cantt Railway Stations.
Coolies bring an important perspective to the table as well. Merging into big groups or families, coolies intermingle with varied people all through the day. Given their role of helping every group with their luggage, they interact with many people and thus can identify anyone who stands out as suspicious.
“In several cases of children rescued from child labour, vigilant coolies spotted a weary-looking child who stood out from a seemingly affluent family and sent a cautionary message our way. With their invaluable help, we’ve been able to rescue numerous children from the trappings of child labour” adds Mr. Pawan Kumar.
- Vendors, Drivers, and Conductors
Vendors on platforms and driver-conductor duos at bus terminals add further nuances to the on-ground scenario. After a certain hour of the day, trains stop arriving or departing from the station, and buses stop faring to and fro. When all commuter activity seems to have halted, vendors continue to serve refreshments, while drivers and conductors catch a shut-eye before the hustle resumes.
Aiding rescue and interventions, especially at night, these key stakeholders keep bringing important cases of a child missing the last train or a child arriving late in the city to our team’s notice. Regular sensitization and awareness programs, including night awareness campaigns, with each of these stakeholders have resulted in quick response routes whereby every child is promptly rescued and reunited with their parents.
Citing an example of the keen eye of a conductor, Mr. Kishan Kumar, Project Co-Ordinator at Anand Vihar Bus Terminal, retells a curious case. “One day a conductor, who was a regular at the Anand Vihar Bus Terminal, came to me saying bhaiyya vo do bacchiyon ko dekh lo jara, unke saath wali aurat sahi nahi lag rahi. (Please take a look at those two girls, the woman accompanying them does not look right to me.)”
“The conductor had been observing them since the time they had boarded the bus, and as soon as they alighted, he rushed to me. Indeed, when we approached the trio, the woman fled the scene only to be caught later. The girls were rescued from a potential case of child trafficking, and it was later revealed that the woman had a case of kidnapping lodged against her.”
- Government Railway Police and Railway Protection Force
While the army of sanitation workers, coolies, vendors, drivers, and conductors secure the terminals on the ground with hyperawareness and prompt reporting, aiding our team in the legal processes and due procedure is the strong team of Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF).
Right from identification and home tracing to making a Daily Diary entry and conducting a medical examination of the child, the GRP and RPF play a vital role in ensuring due safeguarding of the child throughout the process. An inalienable and essential part of each and every case, the GRP and RPF form the strongest pillar of the foundation of stakeholder collaboration.
- Ticket Collector (TC) and Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE)
An oft-ignored aspect of protecting children at transport terminals is strengthening the safety response in running trains or mid-journey. Mr. Pawan Kumar describes the significance of such a situation with a recent case. “A three-year-old baby girl had separated from her parents. While her parents had alighted at the previous station, she had mistakenly stayed back in the train. While her parents informed the RPF officials at Gurugram, the train was on its way to Delhi Sarai Rohilla—a route that had a few stations in between. The officials then informed the TT on the train who not only promptly identified the girl, but also assisted her in alighting and connecting her with our team—all within two hours of her separating from her parents.”
The case is only an exemplar of the swift action taken by TTEs, which proves extremely vital in narrow escapes. Furthermore, TCs, who are responsible for checking tickets on platforms, also play a critical role as they’re often present at entry and exit points of the station.
Railway Children India and Indian Railways – A Collaboration for Protection
Railway Children India works in close association with every single entity of the Indian Railway. With the Child Help Desks serving as a pit stop for the rescue and rehabilitation of children. Furthermore,
Child Help Groups
RCI conducts monthly meetings where officials gather to not only learn about child protection mechanisms but also to learn about RCI’s work status with respect to number of children protected and challenges faced. Beyond railway officials, leaders of vendor groups, porters, and technical support teams also attend these meetings.
Training Sessions
Furthermore, as the key resource agency on child protection, RCI conducts routine training sessions for varied groups of stakeholders including the Station Superintendent, Station Master, Train Manager, Commercial Staff (TT/TC), Commercial Inspector, Porters, officials of the engineering departments, and the and RPF/GRP
In these sessions, the officials are trained on the child protection directives detailed in the Juvenile Justice Act and Standard Operating Procedure. These sessions detail the procedure to be followed upon spotting a unattended, at-risk minor on the railway station premises. Held across 17-18 training institutes, including the Zonal Railway Training Institute, nearly 40-50 station-level trainings have been held so far.
Overall, the collaboration between Railway Children India and the Indian Railways is only growing stronger, with nearly 4500 children protected in 2024 alone.
