France and railroads

France and railroads

The reconstruction of Aceh after the devastating earthquake
and tsunami on Dec. 26 can now begin. In The Jakarta Post on
Jan. 19, I read in an article by Rendi A. Witular that SNCF
chairman and chief executive officer Jean-Pierre Loubinoux plans
to restore the railway network connecting Banda Aceh and Medan.

This information made me happy for Aceh's sake and prompted me
to comment as follows:
* One hundred and fifty years ago France was an investor in the
European railway network. For Aceh's sake, I hope the railway
will be rebuilt wisely.
* Disabled people were unfortunately forgotten 150 years ago.
Only after two horrible world wars did disabled people start to
make the effort to use the railway network. As a disabled Swiss
man, for many years I had to use the storage cabin (in winter
this was freezing cold).
* To me, "disabled" since birth, I could accept this on the level
of personal karma. Disabled people are a "silent" movement who
often are forgotten, especially in Indonesia, which has "other
poverty problems".
* If the French firms build a proper railway in Aceh, I could
even live in Aceh one day. I wouldn't have a problem with sharia
since I have already converted to Islam.

CHRISTOPH EGGLI, Kuta, Bali