Some railway workers called motormen are on strike in Mumbai. They must be important because their absence has resulted in cancellation of local trains with severe disruption of city life. Life in Mumbai is dependent on local trains because the streets are so congested that the vast majority of people are unable to get to work without this service. Twenty motormen have been sacked and around 150 arrested. Local political strongman has threatened them with unknown consequences ( read violence ) if they do not get back to work immediately. The Railway Minister is invoking the Essential Services Maintenance Act, ESMA to force them back to work under duress. All they want is a raise in their pay to survive the continuous rise in prices of essential items, especially food. No surprises here. The people have elected criminal politicians to beat them up if they want a living wage. Yet the Minister of Chemicals ( phenyl? ) has been travelling every three days from Delhi to Chennai or Madurai costing the taxpayer Rs. 1.5 millions already. Seems that he is never in the parliament to answer questions which is essential in a functioning democracy. He went abroad on vacation without informing the Speaker of the Lok Sabha who seemed most displeased. Surely she should use the ESMA on him and sack him as a member if he refuses. However if his services are not essential and he is a waste of taxpayer money the Prime Minster should sack him immediately and save us a lot of money. However that will not happen. It is all snouts at the trough or everyone misses out. Get beaten up for being useful but enjoy if totally useless.