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Survey disrupted as K-Rail stir intensifies
Authorities were forced to defer survey in Ernakulam and Kozhikode after stiff resistance from local people. With the unrest getting enough steam, a war of words between the ruling CPI(M) and the Opposition also intensified.
The protest against the proposed high-speed rail corridor K Rail intensified on Tuesday as a demarcation survey was disrupted at several places across the state.
Protesting Youth Congress workers laid a survey stone at Kottayam collectorate, prompting police to carry out baton charge. Later, police removed the stone from collectorate premises.
Authorities were forced to defer survey in Ernakulam and Kozhikode after stiff resistance from local people. With the unrest getting enough steam, a war of words between the ruling CPI(M) and the Opposition also intensified.
CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan criticised opposition leaders saying if they remove survey stones authorities will lay them again and there was no dearth of stones in the state. “All affected will be compensated properly. Opposition parties have teamed up to mislead them. Come what may, we will go ahead with the project,” he said in Kannur.
He asked the Opposition not to sabotage the ambitious project that will change the face of the state.
At Chengannur in Alapuzha, BJP workers took out a procession to the local office of Culture Minister Saji Cherian who said on Monday that extremist forces were behind the ongoing stir against the K Rail.
“After Sabarmala agitation, the ruling LDF lost 19 out of 20 parliament seats in 2019. Later, they have to beg people saying they are not against believers. The situation is almost similar now. It will lose all seats,” said BJP state president K Surendran.
He said the union government was yet to give permission to the project but the state government started troubling poor people in the name of land acquisition.
The leader of opposition, VD Satheesan, said the ongoing stir will be strengthened and opposition leaders have no fear of going to jails.
More than 1000 protestors have been booked in the state after the stir took momentum last week. “The CM and his ministers are threatening people day in and out. It seems they have developed aversion towards popular movements and stirs. The CM is only talking to influential people and religious heads, not common man,” said Satheesan.
He said they will organise 100 public meetings in the state in a month to show people that the project was not worth and it will invite innumerable problems to the state.
Opposition parties and a section of environmentalists have been opposing the K Rail project that is expected to reduce travelling time from north to south of the state to four hours from 12 hours.
They say it was unscientific and impractical and poses a huge financial burden on the state. But the ruling LDF insists that it will be a game-changer and attract enough investment and reduce carbon emission considerably.
