MARGAO
The Vailankanni Express – the weekly train carrying hundreds of Goans on a pilgrimage to Our Lady of Vailankanni in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu every Monday, has become a subject of debate on the social media in view of the election season.
As usual, the train will be departing from Vasco on Monday morning on May 6 carrying hundreds of pilgrims to Vailankanni. But, here’s the talking point. The weekly departure of the train from Goa falls on May 6, on the eve of the May 7 election for the two Goa Lok Sabha seats, triggering a debate of sorts on social media, with allegations flying thick and thin that the people are being deliberately offered free tickets to go on a pilgrimage so that they miss the date with the Lok Sabha polls.
It may be noted, the Monday weekly Goa-Vailankanni Express is not the special train chartered by the Goa government under the Dev Darshan scheme, but the normal weekly train running between Goa and Vailankanni every Monday and returning on late Tuesday night.
When The Goan asked Social Welfare Director, Ajit Panchwadkar to shed light on the social media debate, he feigned ignorance about any special train arrangement by the government on May 6. He, however, hastened to add that there may be so many trains running to various destinations from Goa on May 6, and it is purely for the people to take a call on whether to take the journey or not ahead of polling.
Inquiries by The Goan revealed that over 800 pilgrims have already booked the tickets to Vailankanni on May 6. There are many others who are on the waiting list.
Many say the pilgrims cannot be faulted for reserving the tickets 2-3 months in advance since the dates of the election schedule was unveiled only couple of weeks ago.
If sources are to be believed, the Vailankanni Express train runs to packed capacity, especially during the summer vacation when parents with their children head to the pilgrimage centre to offer prayers to Our Lady of Vailankanni. “The Vasco-Vailankanni Express evokes good response every week. But, there’s always a rush during the summer vacation when the pilgrims book the tickets in advance, say around 2-3 months before the departure. It is a coincidence that the train is departing from Goa on May 6 a day before the polling for the Lok Sabha polls,” remarked a regular traveller to Vailankanni.
After a Congress leader made a statement that people are being sent to the pilgrim centre on the eve of the Lok Sabha poll by unscrupulous politicians, political commentator Adv Radharao Gracias took to the social media to caution the voters on embarking on the pilgrimage on May 6. “Some interests may sponsor the tickets so that the travel is free. The consequence is that all those who take the trip will miss the vote, on May 7. Even more shameful would be, if any Catholic takes the offer. Every Catholic must note that best form of worship is the performance of duty cast on him or her,” Radharao added.
