Chuku Buku BEKU

For 33 years, Bengaluru’s demand for local trains has gone unanswered. But here’s hoping that is all going to change now. Passionate city folk are coming together for the Chuku Buku Beku Campaign to demand local trains. And just like they said beda to the steel flyover, Bengalureans are now saying beku to this movement that’s going down this Saturday at 9 am from the Cantonment Station.

According to Priya Chetty-Rajagopal, one of the citizens at the helm of this, the name itself is a childlike way of putting across something grave. “Bengalureans are generally laidback, but the steel flyover was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Although, it’s the government’s prerogative to take the matter of public transit on, we decided to collect the voices because, enough was enough,” she says.

The movement also saw several freeze mobs across MG Road, Lalbagh and at railway stations to raise awareness about the faster and cheaper commute for the city. The best part? No felling of trees or displacing people required. It already exists with a network from Cantonment to Whitefield and only needs to be made better!

Another active citizen who is part of the movement, Manasi Paresh Kumar believes the quality of life doesn’t depend on the size of your car, but your peace of mind and in a bludgeoning city like Bengaluru, bettering public transport is a start.

“I have several friends who are stuck commuting from Whitefield to Banashankari for hours. It’s a criminal waste of time, fuel and stress levels,” she says. “This local train is only going to cost Rs 10 for a one way journey and a monthly pass will cost Rs 90. So, why not?” she asks.

Although, she’s a resident of Jayanagar and this track might not benefit her personally, she is one of the many rallying to ask the government to marry the trains and tracks with the city. She’s also riveted by the fact that older citizens like 60-year-old Jayalakshmi BK are active in making the movement what it is today.

Musicians like Raghu Dixit are hopping aboard too and he even took to social media to share with his 50,000 odd followers that he’d be there. In his words, if there are simpler, more effective and beautiful ways to navigate through this city instead of cutting down trees insensitively to build steel flyovers, then why not?

The promise of an alternate mode of transport to traverse through an ever-expanding city is what seems to be catching people’s attention. “I would not give up my cycle to move around in Bengaluru because it’s the fastest way to move around during rush hour. The only exception would be this train. The predictability of time and rare breakdowns makes it a perfect mode of transport,” adds Mayank R, co-founder of Khula Manch, a platform that discusses critical issues.