By R.Swathi
On 23 November 1956, nearly 800 passengers aboard Train No.803 – Madras to Tuticorin (the names of both cities have since changed), were fast asleep as the train reached halfway to its destination, Ariyalur.
Torrential rains had already slowed its progress, as the cautious pilots favoured safety over speed. Yet, in the early hours of that fateful day, the ill-fated train met with disaster shortly after crossing the Ariyalur railway station.
The rains had triggered a flash flood in the Marudaiyaru, the river weakening the pillars of the railway bridge. As the train rolled onto it, the structure gave way. The engine, along with seven bogies, plunged into the swollen river. The eighth bogie derailed, while the last four remained safe. The catastrophe claimed around 150 lives and left over 100 injured. Many bodies were swept away and never recovered.
Help arrived swiftly. Locals, without a second thought, jumped into the turbulent waters to rescue passengers. As dawn broke, it was a dark day for Ariyalur — the toll of human loss weighed heavily on the nation.
Among those deeply shaken was the Railway Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri. Overcome with grief and responsibility, he immediately (Nov.25) tendered his resignation to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, holding himself accountable for the tragedies – Ariyalur and the previous one at Mehbubnagar (currently Telangana) on 2 September 1956. This was ‘A First’! Despite repeated requests from Nehru and other colleagues to reconsider, Shastri stood his ground. He took full political and moral responsibility for the accident, setting an enduring precedent for integrity in public life.
Shastri’s action remains a shining example of leadership, commitment, and personal accountability. On October 2, the nation remembers Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of our Nation. But the same day also marks the birth anniversary of Lal Bahadur Shastri – a leader who lived Gandhi’s ideals of truth and responsibility in governance.
Adyar takes a quiet pride in honouring this statesman, with a locality named after him. And now, with the new CMRL railway station coming up near the Telephone Exchange, it would be a befitting homage if the station were to be named after him – Sastri Nagar Metro Station.
The Metro also deserves the name of an upright leader, Shastri.