Amid strong protests from local residents and opposition parties over Kerala Left Democratic Front Government’s flagship project of K-Rail, the Left party has asserted that they would go ahead with the ambitious initiative. The proposed SilverLine project is expected to reduce travel time from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod to around four hours. The 530-km stretch from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod would be developed by K-Rail -- a joint venture of the Kerala government and the Ministry of Railways.
The CPI(M) leaders said on Tuesday, March 22, that the protests are politically motivated. Minister for Fisheries and Culture, Saji Cheriyan even controversially claimed on Tuesday that certain “terror groups” are involved in the protests. “With the help of terror groups, people are being provoked. People are being misled to believe there is a buffer zone in the one kilometer radius of the rail. So, obviously people will react. The present stone laying is only for assessing environmental impact,” the minister said. Following this, the BJP held a protest march to his office in Chengannur.
The Left Democratic Front had held a public meeting on Tuesday in Changanassery, Madappaly, where police had brutally assaulted the protestors on March 17. VN Vasavan, Minister for Cooperation and Registration, said, “There are poticially motivated attempts to sabotage the government. The government will move ahead with their announced policy.” Vasavan also taunted the Congress for supporting the protests saying that the party is not in a position to protect the protestors. "The Congress party exists only in two states in India, and after elections, that will also not be there. They are not in a position to protect anybody," he said.
Speaking to the media in Malappuram on Tuesday, CPI(M) State Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan appeared to taunt the protesters. “If the protesters continue to disrupt the process by uprooting [foundation] stones and throwing them away, more stones will be brought to the state from neighbouring Tamil Nadu to complete the process,” he said. He added that the state government will go ahead with the survey process (for identifying properties for the project and for carrying out a social impact assessment) for the K-Rail. Referring to the protests in Kannur on Monday, Balakrishnan said, “The protesters barged into the Collectorate and Secretariat. Don’t they deserve a beating for that kind of protest? But the police showed restraint,” Kodiyeri said. kannur
Senior CPI(M) leader E P Jayarajan also came down heavily on the opposition Congress, alleging that the party has fallen into the hands of a "group of morons". He claimed that the protesters lack direction, and the movement against the project does not have the mass support.
The K-Rail project is being opposed by the UDF, which has been alleging that it is unscientific and impractical besides putting a huge financial burden on the state. The CPI(M)-led LDF government contended that the UDF is anti-development.
Hitting back at the CPI(M) leadership, Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly, V D Satheesan, alleged that the Chief Minister, ministers and CPI(M) leaders are insulting the people because they are intoxicated with power. "They despise popular struggles now because they speak for the elite," Satheesan alleged.
Taking a swipe at Jayarajan and Culture Minister Saji Cheriyan, who had alleged that “terror groups” were behind the protest, the Congress leader said both of them were doing a good job of being the “clowns” in Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's court.
Accusing the government of registering cases under non-bailable sections against the UDF leaders and workers protesting against the K-Rail project, Satheesan said the opposition workers are ready to go to jail for the cause.
Palakkad MLA Shafi Parambil said that the Pinarayi Vijayan government is adopting the Sangh Parivar’s policy of terming those protesting against them as “terrorists”, just as Narendra Modi government did during the farmers’ protests. “Fascits portray protestors as anti-nationals. Why are the CPI(M) and Pinarayi Vijayan following this model? It seems that ministers are assigned to abuse the protestors,” the Congress MLA said.
Despite protests, the LDF government has stated said the K-Rail project will be beneficial for future generations, would result in economic development, and reduce carbon emissions every year by around 2.8 lakh tonnes. Starting from the state capital, the trains on the proposed SilverLine will have stops at Kollam, Chengannur, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Tirur, Kozhikode and Kannur, before reaching Kasaragod.