Tejasvi Surya Wife: ‘Imagine 40 adults talking loudly for 5 hours’: Tejasvi Surya’s wife recounts ‘traumatic’ train ride, asks when we will improve | Bengaluru News
BENGALURU: Carnatic singer Sivasri Skandaprasad, wife of BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, on Thrusday recounted a “traumatic” train journey, alleging that a group of around 40 middle-aged passengers spoke and laughed loudly for nearly five hours, leaving other passengers with little choice but to endure the noise.In a post on X, Skandaprasad said the group occupied a large part of a 56-seat coach and continued talking loudly throughout the journey.“I had a traumatic train ride today. It is very sad to see how people do not respect public spaces enough,” she wrote, adding that people should avoid shouting or speaking loudly in public and respect the personal space of fellow passengers.“As artists, we have a 100 thoughts running. And we thrive in silence. Everyone can understand the initial excitement when travelling in a big group in a train. But imagine a group of 40 middle aged adults occupying a 56 seater coach and talking so loudly to everyone for 5 hours. Non stop,” she said.
Asked TTE for another seat
Skandaprasad said she approached the ticket examiner (TTE) and requested if she could be moved to another coach. However, since the train was full, the TTE could not arrange another seat and she had to remain in the same coach, though she moved to a different seat.She said the situation continued when another group of around eight passengers, who were already “yapping and laughing non stop”, began playing UNO.Skandaprasad said she again approached the TTE, who asked the group to stop playing. According to her, the passengers immediately complied.However, she alleged that the TTE returned a few minutes later and mockingly asked the group in Kannada, “yaake sir galaatte maadtaideera?” — or, “Why are you creating a nuisance?”She said the group laughed with the TTE and invited him to join their game, saying, “Sir Neevu banni, adona” — “Sir, you come, let’s play.”Skandaprasad further alleged that the group later deliberately started singing Bollywood songs.
‘We lost the civic sense game’
Skandaprasad said her concern was not about the game itself but about how public spaces are treated.“So the concern here is not about who won. Myself, along with them, as Indians, lost the Civic sense game,” she wrote.She also questioned why passengers outside a large group are often expected to tolerate behaviour that disturbs them.“Problem in India is nobody can question them. It is an unsaid rule that the other 16 of us which aren’t part of the group should simply endure them,” she said.The singer said the incident had made her question broader public behaviour and civic sense in India.“When will we as a nation improve our public behaviour? God save this country,” she wrote.
