Metro Man of India E Sreedharan – The real motivator of Indian youngsters
Today’s century has been a world of superheroes and supernatural powers like Batman, Superman, and much more reel heroes. But only a few are aware of the real-life ones. One such real-life heroic personality is Dr. Elattuvalapil Sreedharan is an Indian engineer who is also known by the name Metro Man of India.
The metro man of India was basically known for isolating his projects from political pressures, influences, and winning political commitments for fast execution of projects. Fighting all obstacles, Metro Man of India Dr. E Sreedharan has had an aspiring journey in the public transport and infrastructure space of India. He was born in the Palakkad district of Kerala on the 12th of June in 1932. His family basically belongs to Karukaputhur. He received his early education from Basel Evangelical Mission higher secondary school after which he went to Victoria College in Palghat. He chose to study engineering and completed his Civil Engineering College Kakanada in Andhra Pradesh.
Glancing on to his personal life, he got married to Radha and regards his wife as a great pole of support. The couple has 4 children. All of them are now well accomplished in their own chosen fields. He regularly reads Bhagavad Gita and tries to imbibe its teachings in his personal and professional life.
He was esteemed by millions of Indians as a railway engineer and a technocrat who got work done within deadlines and budget. Dr. Sreedharan has hailed as the Christ of new-age infrastructure projects. The 760 Km stretch of the Konkan railways was completed by E Sreedharan and his team in a remarkable time span of 7 years. More importantly once finished in 1997-98, it reduced the distance from Mumbai to Mangalore by 1,127Km, saving almost 26 hours of travel time.
The Metro Man of India can be considered as a man of discipline. Even today at the age of 88 he wakes up at 4:30 am to maintain a strict schedule of yoga and Bhagavad Gita. He still conducts inspection visits to metro rail works across the countries for which he is a consultant.
The book ‘Indian Railways Man’ a biography of E Sreedharan has captured his personality traits reflecting on his determination in public and private battles in laying down the foundation of modern infrastructure engineering in India. Ragendra B Aklekar the author of the book told ‘Hate him, Love him but when it’s about the Indian railways you cannot ignore him.’ “There were many hidden aspects of his life; aspects never discussed or documented in the public domain, though there are official records and notes regarding a few,” Aklekar mentions in the preface while reminding readers that this biography The book reveals some known facts about him as to now being a Managing Director of a newly formed multi-crore corporation, the Konkan railways. He received a mere salary of Rs 1080. In order to reverse the policy decision, he had taken as a railway board member to replace wooden sleepers on Indian railways with concrete sleepers. He also points out how the railway bridge today connects Mumbai and Navi Mumbai had been struck for years and how he got it moving. The book also details why the Delhi metros have two gauges and how Maharashtra politician Sharath Pawar helped in reversing the railway ministries decision of an Indian broad gauge metro. Many senior colleagues who worked with him who have now retired or busy with some projects preferred to remain silent. However, all have one thing in common, that is they respect the man.
Since so many decades of controlling huge projects, not even once there was any clue of corruption. When all the projects related to the Commonwealth Games were under the radar for scandals, the Delhi Metro Project stood proudly without any allegations in 2010. The other milestones of Sreedharan include the design of the Calcutta Metro. He did all the required research by reviewing the Tokyo Metro lines, and a wonderful underground metro rail system was designed and executed.
Sreedharan joined the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the 2021 Kerala Legislative Assembly election On 18 February 2021.
“I believe in the BJP and what the party can do for the people,” Sreedharan told INDIA TODAY. “Since I retired and settled in Kerala, I’ve worked with different governments—both the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front—which were not able to do anything substantial for the people. Most projects were delayed, and corruption is rampant. The current LDF government is no different.” He said that he has been sympathetic to the BJP “since Narendra Modi became prime minister”
and that he supports the prime minister for “the great initiatives he has taken to make Indian a global leader.”
“Many have asked me why I am entering politics at 88. My answer is I have worked on many projects for the country for 67 years. At this age too, I have confidence, strength, and energy to work. If I can do anything for Kerala, let it be so. It’s that desire alone that made me join BJP,” Mr. Sreedharan said
He expressed his political views against love jihad mentioning “Yes I see what is happened in Kerala. How Hindus are being tricked in a marriage and how they suffer… not only Hindus, Muslim, the Christian girls are being tricked in a marriage. Now that sort of a thing I certainly will oppose”. He said after joining BJP.
The BJP has just one MLA in the 140 strong Kerala legislative assembly, up from zero in 2011, but it still remains as a hope that Mr. Sreedharan’s charisma and appeal will rub off on the party’s fortunes.
Dr Sreedhar retired Indian Engineering Services officer is credited for building the Konkan railways in the Delhi metro when he served as the Managing Director of Delhi from 1995 to 2012. He was awarded the Padma Shri by the government of India in 2001. The Padma Vibhushan in 2008. The Chevalier De La Legion D’Honneur 2005 and was named one of Asia’s Heroes by Time magazine in 2003.
Dr. E Sreedharan has become such an invaluable asset to Indian railways that the government let him know that his services would still be required even after he gets retired from the Indian Engineering Services.
