India
oi-Swastika Sruti
Renowned singer, wife of BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, shared her train journey as “traumatic” alleging that a large group of passengers created a constant disturbance inside her coach.
Singer Sivasri, wife of BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, described a traumatic train journey with about 40 loud passengers whose constant disturbance prompted TTE intervention, raising questions about civic sense in shared public spaces.
Posting on the social media handle X, Sivasri said around 40 middle-aged passengers occupied a significant part of the 56-seat coach and continued talking loudly for nearly five hours. She said the experience raised broader questions about civic sense and how people behave in shared public spaces.
Sivasri Says Loud Conversations Continued For Hours
According to Sivasri, the group initially appeared excited to be travelling together, but their conversations continued loudly throughout the journey.
She said she prefers quiet surroundings because, as an artist, she often has “a 100 thoughts running” in her mind. While acknowledging that travelling in a large group can be enjoyable, she questioned whether that should come at the cost of other passengers’ comfort.
Sivasri also said the other passengers in the coach found it difficult to object to the noise.
“Problem in India is nobody can question them,” she wrote, arguing that there appeared to be an unwritten expectation that the remaining passengers would simply tolerate the disturbance.
TTE Asked To Intervene
Sivasri claimed that she went to the Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) and enquired if she could switch coaches. But, according to Sivasri, there was no availability of any seat in other coaches as the coach was full.
Hence, she was forced to stay in the same coach though she shifted from one seat to another.
After some time, as Sivasri claims, a group of eight persons started playing Uno while chattering and laughing. Once again Sivasri approached the TTE and asked if anything could be done.
The TTE asked the passengers to stop the game and they immediately stopped.
However, Sivasri alleged that the TTE later returned and asked the group in Kannada, “Yaake sir galaatte maadtaideera?” or “Why are you creating a nuisance?”
According to her post, the passengers laughed and replied, “Sir, neevu banni, adona,” inviting the TTE to join them in the game.
‘It Was Not About The Card Game’
Sivasri said the issue was not actually about the UNO game but about how passengers behave in shared public spaces.
“So, the concern here is not about who won. Myself, along with them, as Indians, lost the civic sense game,” she wrote. She also alleged that the group later began playing Bollywood songs, further adding to the disturbance.
Questioning public behaviour in India, she asked when people would learn to respect the personal space and comfort of others while travelling in public transport.
Her post ended with the words, “God save this country.”
