My Mother — Page 136
136 ‘Why, Mother,’ they protested, ‘you have said “your God and His Messenger”? Are they not “our God and His Messenger” too?’ She retorted, ‘Well, if you believe that they are, do as they command. ’ On 31 st May 1935, Quetta was rocked by a terrible earthquake which took a heavy toll of lives and property. I was Minister of Commerce and Railways. I directed the Railway Board to adopt every possible measure of relief by way of evacuation and move- ment of supplies etc. The Railways made a very good job of it, which was much appreciated. Some time later, Sir Guthrie Russell, Chief Commissioner of Railways, and Sir James Pitkeathly, Chief Con troller of Stores, suggested that we might go to Quetta to check up on things on the spot. Mother decided to accompany us. It had been arranged that before returning from Quetta we would go through the Chhappar Rift, an outstanding feat of rail- way engineering. That section of the railway track was not laid in a tunnel; it ran through a sort of gallery scooped out of the side of the mountain. At the last stop before the Rift a wooden bench was securely fastened in front of the locomotive, so that seated on it Sir Guthrie, Sir James, and I could have an unobstructed view of the Rift. Our saloons were at the rear of the train. Sir Guthrie’s shared by Sir James, was the hindmost. It had a platform at the back on which a chair was placed for Mother, on which seated she could observe everything in comfort. I explained this to her and she enquired, ‘Where will you be? I told her I would be on a bench in front of the locomotive. ’ ‘Would there be room for me on the bench?’ ‘Oh yes, there would be room, but you would not be comfortable. ’