Do the British get the credit for bringing the train to India? Not at all! Nana Jagannath Shankar seth was the first person to take the initiative for this work.
Nana was born into a family of goldsmiths, and being a business family, they were very wealthy.
When the train first ran in England, it made news worldwide. When this news reached Nana, he felt that this train should also run in his village and city.
Nanaji was no ordinary person; his business was very extensive. Many British officials were under his patronage, which gives an idea of his influence.
He established several educational institutions (the original uses "à°µిà°¶్వవిà°¦్à°¯ాలయాలను" which is closer to "universities," but contextually "educational institutions" or "colleges" might also fit depending on the exact nature) where many great revolutionaries later studied. He started the first school for girls in Mumbai. Nanaji also arranged for Sanskrit to be taught alongside English in his schools.
In 1843, he approached his father's friend, Jamshedji Jeejeebhoy (also known as JJ), and explained his idea for the Indian Railway. The idea of running a train in India greatly pleased Supreme Court Justice Sir Thomas Erskine Perry and British official (the name "Skin Parry" in Telugu seems like a phonetic rendering; Sir Thomas Erskine Perry was a notable figure, a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in Bombay, so it's highly likely this refers to him. If there was another "Skin Parry," the direct transliteration would be that, but "Erskine Perry" fits the historical context better).
Everyone found Nana's idea wonderful. Following this, the three of them together established the Indian Railway Association. Before this, the British had no such plans for railways.
When influential individuals like Nana and JJ presented their proposal to the East India Company, the Company, after much deliberation, instructed the government to work on it.
They established a company called the Great Indian Peninsular Railway (the original says "Great Indian Railways," but the historical company was GIPR), including major businessmen of Mumbai in this project.
This dream was fulfilled in 1853 when the train ran from Bombay (Mumbai) to Thane. Nanaji and JJ were also passengers on it.
Indeed, while we learn every little detail about others, when it comes to the contributions of our own people, forget acknowledging them, we are often unwilling even to hear about them.
