Police action on K-Rail protesters roils House

Opposition walks out , warns govt. of political blowback

The land-use battle over K-Rail (SilverLine) alignment demarcation reflected resoundingly in the Assembly on Thursday, with the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) Opposition staging a walkout in protest against the police action in Kottayam against long-time local residents, who, fearful of displacement, resisted the laying of markers for the semi-high-speed railway project.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan accused the Congress of attempting to resurrect the moribund party by inciting violence. “There are no big protests or widespread resentment against K-Rail. Nevertheless, the Congress is trying to stoke trouble by misdirecting some people to disrupt the survey by attacking K-Rail, revenue and police officials. I appeal to the Congress to halt their wrongful interventions,” he said.

However, a combative Opposition warned Mr. Vijayan to brace himself for the political blowback from the government’s aggressive and unpopular campaign to unilaterally execute the ‘economically, socially and environmentally’ unviable K-Rail project.

Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan said the police highhandedness against women and children who resisted the laying of K-Rail markers on their ancestral land at Madapally in Changanassery had further energised the struggle.

The UDF would back the people and fight the Chief Minister’s ‘authoritarian streak.’ The government seemed oblivious to the disastrous outcomes of past land struggles, notably Nandigram in West Bengal.

SilverLine land acquisition has impacted chiefly low-income families laid low by the pandemic. The State’s ‘paltry compensation’ to displaced families offered scant relief. It was insufficient to rebuild disrupted lives. K-Rail held no benefit for local communities.

Even LDF allies were sceptical about the scheme's viability. People were fearful it would push Kerala into an irredeemable debt trap.