In 24 hours, 4,327 people had signed her petition against the Mumbai -Ahmedabad Bullet train project inaugurated by PM Modi and his Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe. In 24 hours, 4,327 people had signed her petition against the Mumbai -Ahmedabad Bullet train project inaugurated by PM Modi and his Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe.

As the stampede fuelled anger against the Centre’s bullet train project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, Shreya Chavan, a twelfth standard student from the city, filed a petition to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating “We don’t want Bullet trains, we need better Railways”. The teenager started a petition against the bullet train on Friday evening. In 24 hours, 4,327 people had signed her petition.

Anguished by the death of a 17-year-old junior college student after falling off the local train on September 20, Chavan said, “We decided to take up the issue then (after the student’s death). If students are not able to travel to college by trains then what is the point of a bullet train,” asks Chavan, an arts student of Ruia college.

“Statistically speaking, nine people die every day on the tracks of Mumbai. Under this scenario the funding used for the not needed Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train should be invested in improving the conditions of Mumbai local trains,” reads the petition, also addressed to Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, on Change.org.

Chavan, along with her friend Tanvi Mhapankar, decided to take up the issue after one of their friends lost her life in a rail accident 10 days back.

Maitri Shah, a 17-year-old student from Mithibai College, died on her way back home to Vasai 10 days back after falling off the train between Borivali and Dahisar. After the tragedy at Elphinstone Road station on Friday, the girls decided it was time to take up the matter and filed their petition on the online platform.

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