Indian railway ticket

The following conversation that I had in the 3rd week of last month with the lady at the reservation counter at Chennai Central Railway Station in course of collecting two tickets for myself and my wife may help understand the situation. We are nearly seventy and above sixty years old, respectively.

- If possible please give me two seats in the cabin side with two lower berths. Lady - (Pretending to look at the computer screen) No lower berth is visible on the screen. (After sometime) I can give you at best two seats with one lower and one upper berth in the passage side, not in the cabin side.

- You see, we are both elderly. It is hard for us to climb up. Besides, I am a surgery patient that should deserve your consideration.

Then the lady stood up and went inside the glass cabin to discuss with her male colleagues. She came back with the same message. - No, lower berths. You can wait for sometime if you like.

Half an hour passed. She went on doing this and that, but never looked up at us. When her male colleague was passing by she talked to him something in Tamil. The gentleman immediately declared loudly, "What's the harm! Give them 'Tatkal' tickets." As soon as he went inside the glass cabin the lady hurriedly took out a printed ticket from the computer and gave me. Having a look at it I said, I couldn't afford this fare. Lady- OK then, I cancel this ticket.

She threw away the ticket in the basket. After observing her attitude I could not but yield to her decision and asked to give me the tickets having one lower and one upper berth on the passage side. She did so with a disgusting face. After paying for the tickets I said politely,

- "Look respectable lady, on many occasions I've travelled by train from various railway stations of India like Howrah, Mumbai, Bangalore, New Delhi, Ajmeer, Agra and some others. Nowhere did I find such a hassle in procuring tickets under foreigners' quota on showing passports."

She was angry and immediately shouted. "We know, we know what Howrah people and others do."

- "Yes, they do. But not to this extent."

Lady "OK, don't come here again for tickets. This counter is not for foreigners. This is only for tourists."

- "Sorry, I cannot avoid coming here again. Because we come here with a tourist visa."

Later when I discussed the matter with the hotel manager where I was staying, he said, Whey do you go there to face such an odd situation? Pay me Rs. 200 extra for each person. I shall deliver you the tickets in your room with desired seats and berths.

It can be mentioned that all hotels, travel agents and even telephone booths display board which read 'Railway tickets are sold here.' Can't the Indian High Commission kindly take up the matter with the Indian Railway, and Southern Railway in particular so that Bangladeshis do not have to face such harassment?