A. Harikumar
Thiruvananthapuram, March 19. The Kerala Government which has been exuding confidence that it will construct SilverLine semi-high-speed railway corridor, despite protests seems to have developed cold feet as the protests ravages across the state. Strident opposition from the public, and all out support to it by the opposition including the BJP seems to have taken the government by surprise.
This was evident in the words of CPI (M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan who told the media today that the government doesn’t want to declare war against the public in the issue. “We are ready to take on the opposition protest, but are also willing to discuss with those who would be directly affected by the project, he added. He also alleged that the Congress is trying to build a rainbow coalition including the BJP and the Jamaat-e-Isami against the state government.
Kodiyeri’s statement comes in the backdrop of the intensified protests across the state in the last few days when the government tried to conduct survey purportedly for studying the social impact of the SilverLine. Kodiyeri’s words contrast with the inflexible stand of the chief minister Pinarayi who called the protestors anti-development group yesterday. He vowed not to retract from the project, adding that SilverLine will be implemented with the support of the public.
The over 530-kilometre long SilverLine project corridor will connect Kasaragod, the northernmost district of Kerala with the state capital Thiruvananthapuram lying at the southern end. The SilverLine is expected to bring down the travel time between the two stations from the current 12 hours to around 4 hours. While the government says the estimated cost of the project is Rs 64,000 crore, the opposition alleges that it could be up to Rs 1.5 lakh crore. The opposition is of the view that the projet is unviable and will lead to an ecological disaster, besides rendering around 50,000 families homeless.
Protests at Changanassery, Tirur and Chottanikkara
Violence erupted at Madappally, Changanassery on March 17 when government officials tried to erect stones as part of their survey. Hundreds of people including women and children gathered there; blocked the officials and removed the stones. The police and protestors stoned each other. Later, the police caned the people a few times injuring many, and later arrested and removed them.
Meanwhile the opposition UDF and the BJP declared solidarity with the protesters and their workers arrived at the scene. A hartal was held in Changanassery by the UDF and the BJP the next day.
Kallayi in Kozhikode also witnessed similar scenes on the day when officials began laying stones. Hundreds of protestors who tried to stop the survey fought pitched battles with the police and removed all the stones laid by the officials. Several people got injured in the fight.
Meanwhile, protests intensified at Tirur in Malappuram, and Chottanikkara in Ernakulam today, when officials tried to survey land and erect stones. Seeing the angry crowd the police backed out, and officials withdrew from the survey there. Some of the women who assembled in the area are reported to have carried Kerosene bottles and threatened to commit suicide if the officials went forward with the survey.
While the chief minister is brimming with confidence and is determined to implement the SilverLine, others in the party seem to have developed cold feet. The coalition partners of the ruling LDF also seem to be wary of the developing situation.
