(The following report appeared on the Mumbai Newsline website on May 7.)
MUMBAI, India — Seasoned commuters, waiting for their trains at Dadar station on Sunday afternoon, were surprised to hear an unusual public announcement — “lady constable jaldi platform no 4 pe pahucho” (please come to platform no 4 fast). Why, Gulshan Pathan found out as soon as she arrived.
Twenty-eight-year-old Asha Verma had just delivered a boy in the general compartment of a Churchgate-bound Virar local which had rolled in minutes before.
Asha was on her way to King Edward Memorial Hospital in Parel along with her daughter Pinky (8) and husband Sunil, who works in small businesses. Asha had been feeling uneasy since morning, and was going for a check-up. But she went into labour before she could reach the hospital.
Four hours later, sitting in the delivery ward at Sion hospital, Asha remembered how she had warned her husband: “I told Sunil at Borivali station that our baby will be delivered at Dadar station. He replied nervously — Sambhaalo sambhaalo, bus thodi der aur (Hold on, it’s just a matter of some more time).”
But the contractions became frequent and painful, and when the train reached platform no. 4 of Dadar station, Asha gave in to the pressure. Seeing her plight, one of the male commuters inside the second-class general compartment pulled the chain. As soon as the train stopped, all the commuters in the compartment — Asha was the only female passenger — got out.
“I saw them covering their eyes with their hands. I gave birth to my boy inside the empty compartment,” said Asha.
Government Railway Police (GRP) constable Gulshan Pathan, who reached the spot with a stretcher, said: “A woman commuter cut the umbilical cord. I shifted Asha on to the stretcher, but was distracted by the cherubic baby. He is so adorable.”
Finally, they all left Dadar station — Asha on the stretcher, an awkwardly blushing Sunil holding his baby and Gulshan guiding them — followed by an excited bunch of fellow commuters. Asha was admitted to Sion hospital.
Sunil, initially shocked by the turn of events, later expressed his gratitude towards Gulshan and his fellow commuters.
“Maine to haath khade kar diye the. Logo ne sambhala (I had given up. These people took care of everything),” he said.
And Asha can’t stop laughing about the comment made by Gulshan after the delivery: “She said, Don’t worry, your son was born in a train, now he can enjoy free train rides all his life.”
Mother and child are doing fine.