Passenger Gets Live Cockroach In Veg Thali Ordered From IRCTC; Video Goes Viral

The history of Indian Railways is a tale of transformation that began during British colonial rule. The British saw railways as a tool to exploit India’s resources while aiming to transport goods swiftly to ports. However, after the country’s independence, we turned it into the country’s lifeline. With its extensive network spanning over 67,000 kilometers, Indian railways have grown to become the most important asset of our country.

India’s vast railway network fosters national cohesion by connecting the country’s various regions. With over 23 million passengers served every day, it is one of the largest railway networks in the world. Despite the fact that post-independence, Indian Railways faced numerous challenges, such as restructuring and a low budget, its success journey is praiseworthy.

Nevertheless, despite its importance, Indian Railways has a lot of problems that limit its effectiveness and security. While overcrowding is the biggest problem (according to me), cleanliness and sanitation are also big worries. Poor waste management systems, inadequate restroom facilities, and poor cleanliness are common problems on many trains and stations.

In addition to compromising passenger comfort, this also presents health hazards. Due to this, the quality of food on trains has also been compromised. As a result, it’s getting harder to find a pure, hygienic meal on Indian trains than it is to get a Tatkal ticket on the IRCTC app.

A passenger shares a video of a train meal with a live cockroach on it

A passenger recently posted on the “Indian Railways” subreddit about their regrettable discovery of a cockroach in their vegetarian thali. In the video, the passenger was looking forward to a dinner of rice, dal, and two sabzis as they excitedly unwrapped their thali.

However, their meal took an unexpected turn when they discovered a live cockroach curled up on their gulab jamun. The video of the incident instantly went viral and immediately became the talk of the town on Reddit.

Cockroach in food
byu/Aggravating-Wrap-266 inindianrailways

Reddit users share their perspectives on the viral video

Reddit users were keen to share their clever comments on the video. While some users mockingly commended the “crunchy, protein-rich diet,” others sarcastically hailed the railway for its creative technique of serving “expensive non-veg thali” that comes with a live garnish.

The banter continued with playful comments about the cockroach’s sudden “wildcard entry” into the dessert and its potential as an “impact player” in the culinary scene.

Regretfully, this is not an isolated instance. Another traveler on the Kashi Express recently described a similarly disturbing encounter. After finding an insect in his food, Parvez Hashmi expressed his disgust on social media. He posted a disturbing image of an unidentified object in his dal and sabzi. Hashmi shared details of his trip, and tagged Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on X, formerly known as Twitter.

It seems that these problems will not stop soon. However, it is obvious that in order to guarantee that travelers won’t have to worry about the security and hygienic quality of their meals, the authorities must act quickly to resolve these concerns.