Mishra delivered a detailed and compelling presentation on the origins and evolution of the East Indian Railway (EIR), setting the backdrop for the launch of his new books, “The Highway of Hindostan: The East Indian Railway (1841–1871)” and “Tracks of Necessity: Railway, Famine and Empire in Deccan.” Both titles have been widely anticipated for their reliance on primary archival materials and their effort to reconstruct neglected layers of India’s railway history.
“The Highway of Hindostan” offers what Mishra describes as the most complete and authentic chronicle of the EIR’s formative decades. Spanning engineering breakthroughs, colonial negotiations, and the often-forgotten labour behind the tracks, the book maps the railway’s journey from an imperial infrastructure project to an instrument of national transformation. It also revisits the contributions of reformers and visionaries who shaped one of India’s earliest and most consequential transport corridors.
His second work, “Tracks of Necessity,” turns to the Southern Maratha Railway (SMR) and the West of India Portuguese Guaranteed Railway (WIPGR), tracing how these networks emerged in response to adversity and became vital lifelines for famine-stricken regions of the Deccan. The book highlights how the SMR evolved into a significant “Food for Work” initiative, while the WIPGR forged a critical link between British India and Portuguese-administered Goa, connecting cotton-producing belts of Dharwad to the deep-water port of Marmugao. Through extensive archival records, Mishra reconstructs the political bargains, engineering endeavours, and financial ambitions that shaped some of the earliest integrated railway networks on the subcontinent.
In his address, Mishra emphasised the indispensable role played by the railways in India’s freedom struggle, noting that the Eastern region, being home to the earliest lines, bore witness to pivotal moments in the country’s resistance movements. He cited the British deployment of trains during the Santhal Rebellion of 1855–56—marking the first military use of railways in India—as an example of how the technology reshaped colonial power and indigenous resistance. He also shed light on lesser-known episodes from the history of the Eastern Railway, illuminating its developmental challenges and historical significance. Mishra’s long experience as Divisional Railway Manager in Asansol, Malda, and Alipurduar has informed his extensive research and his work in preserving heritage railway structures across postings.
The launch drew a distinguished audience, including former Railway Board Member (Finance) Shri Sanjay Mukherjee; Railway Enthusiasts Society President Shri V.N. Mathur; Publishers Guild Secretary Shri S.S. Day; Shri Justice S. Pal, Chairman of CUI; Howrah DRM Shri Vishal Kapoor; rail literature expert Shri Atulya Sinha; ED (Heritage), Railway Board, Ms. Ashima Mehrotra; RES members Shri Saurankha Maji and Shri Debashish Mukhopadhyay; film director Shri Sachin Sushil; CWM of Liluah Workshop Shri Yatish Kumar; Sr. DME/ER Shri Satyendra Nath Tiwari; CPRO and Secretary to GM Shri R.N. Tiwari; PRO Shri Anil Kumar Srivastava; TI/ER Shri Abhijit Barua; and PI/MCF Shri Amitesh Kuswaha.
The unveiling of the two volumes marked an important moment in the documentation of India’s railway heritage, underscoring the railways’ central role in shaping the nation’s social, political, and economic trajectory. Attendees—ranging from railway professionals to young researchers—praised the books for their meticulous research and narrative clarity, reinforcing the continued relevance of historical inquiry in understanding the evolution of modern India.
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