The Hindu : Front Page : Karunanidhi gets assurance on Salem division from Lalu

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Sunday, Aug 26, 2007
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Karunanidhi gets assurance on Salem division from Lalu

Tamil Nadu Bureau

— Photo: K. Ananthan

Service disrupted: Members of political parties blocking Kerala Express train at the Coimbatore junction on Saturday, demanding formation of the Salem Railway Division.

CHENNAI: The indefinite rail roko demanding the creation of the Salem Railway division disrupted train services across Tamil Nadu on Saturday morning, but was called off later in the day following an appeal from Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.

The Chief Minister asked the protesters to withdraw the agitation after obtaining an assurance from Railway Minister Lalu Prasad over phone that the formation of the Salem division was definite. The agitation by political parties and trade bodies in Salem, Tirupur, Coimbatore, Podanur and Pollachi completely paralysed services to and from Kerala.

All Kerala-bound trains were stopped either at Salem or Erode or Tirupur or Coimbatore. Trains from Kerala to Tamil Nadu were detained at various stations. The agitators urged the Centre to stick to its earlier announcement on the inauguration of the division on September 14 and wanted Coimbatore and Tirupur to be included in the new division.

Passengers bound for various towns in Kerala for the Onam festival were the worst-affected as their trains were detained for more than two hours. The holding up of trains resulted in a pathway congestion leading to delayed operation of trains to various destinations in Tamil Nadu, including Chennai.

The Railway Police, the Railway Protection Force and the Coimbatore City Police were deployed in adequate numbers to prevent the agitation from turning violent. The cadres of various parties under the banner of the Salem Railway Division Protection Struggle Coordination Committee blocked trains.

At Tirupur, the New Delhi–Tiruvananthapuram Kerala Express was blocked around 4.30 a.m. The Mangalore–Chennai West Coast Express was detained at Podanur at 6.25 a.m. The police removed 100 agitators. The Kerala Express was again blocked at the Coimbatore Junction 9 a.m. Protesters raised slogans both in Tamil as well as in Malayalam demanding the creation of the Salem division and criticised Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan and Mr. Lalu Prasad.

The Bangalore-Kanyakumari Express after detentions at several places reached Coimbatore after 11.30 a.m. Owing to the pathway congestion, more than a dozen trains were reported to be running behind schedule by several hours.

Government Law College students resorted to a road blockade at Chavadi on the NH 47 close to the Tamil Nadu–Kerala border and were removed by the police.

The Coimbatore–Chennai Intercity Express and the Coimbatore–Kumbakonam Janashatabdhi Express left after several hours of delay. The Cheran Express from Chennai was held up at Ingur for want of signal owing to a pathway congestion.

The authorities announced cancellation of passenger trains and partial cancellation of a few trains. Some of the cancelled passenger trains were operated as specials in the afternoon.

Though the services had resumed, they would become normal in 36 to 48 hours.

“Division already functioning”

In Mayiladuturai, Minister of State for Railways R. Velu said the Salem railway division had been functioning since February this year and ‘emergency quota’ tickets were being issued.

Hence, there was no room for raising doubts about the new division. Talking to mediapersons after flagging-off the Mayiladuturai-Tiruchi daily express train here, he said that the creation of the division would not in any way affect the interests of Kerala.

The demand for a railway zone for Kerala could be decided only at the Ministry level, he said.

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