Protests by local residents and opposition political groups against the CPI(M)-led government's flagship SilverLine project continued to rock various parts of Kerala on Tuesday, March 22, even as the Left party asserted that they would go ahead with the ambitious initiative. Intensified protests by local residents comprising women and children prevented authorities from laying survey stones at Nattassery village in Kottayam district and Thirunavaya in Malappuram district. The locals also picked up and threw the survey stones which were laid.
The people withdrew from the protest sites after the authorities announced that they are suspending the process temporarily. In protest against the government's "adamant stand", Youth Congress workers symbolically laid a survey stone on the premises of Kottayam district collectorate after breaking the police barricades.
As the protest against the project continued in various parts of the state, leaders of the Congress and CPI(M) traded charges against each other over the issue. Slamming the protesters for uprooting the survey stones, CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said the government would not surrender to such tactics.
"The government would go ahead with the survey process (for identifying properties for the project and for carrying out a social impact assessment). If the protesters continue to disrupt the proceedings by uprooting stones and throwing them away, more stones will be brought to the state from neighbouring Tamil Nadu to complete the process," Balakrishnan said.
Senior CPI(M) leader EP 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 movement against the project does not have the mass support.
Hitting back at the CPI(M) leadership, Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly, VD 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 extremist 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 project, Satheesan said the opposition workers are ready to go to jail for the cause.
BJP state president K Surendran alleged that the Chief Minister was threatening the anti-SilverLine protesters. He claimed that the Left government would face intensified protests as they had faced during the controversy over Sabarimala women entry issue.
"The government is making a planned move to create division among the protesters. This agitation is the struggle of the people beyond caste, religion and politics. The government's reactionary stance of dividing the people on the basis of caste and religion will not work," Surendran claimed.
The SilverLine project, expected to reduce travel time from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod to around four hours, 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.
The government said the project would be beneficial for future generations, would result in economic development, and reduce carbon emissions every year by around 2.8 lakh tonnes. Therefore, LDF said, everyone should come together to make the rail corridor a reality.
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. Starting from the state capital, SilverLine trains would have stoppages at Kollam, Chengannur, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Tirur, Kozhikode and Kannur before reaching Kasaragod.