The Hindu : Train services paralysed in Hubli

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 08, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Train services paralysed in Hubli

By Our Special Correspondent

HUBLI May 7. Train services were paralysed in Hubli, the headquarters of the South Western Railway Zone, on Wednesday when the Uttara Karnataka Adhivridhi Horata Vedike staged a "rail roko".

No train was allowed to leave or enter Hubli during the 12-hour agitation. Trains to Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Guntakal, and Goa were blocked for most part of the day.

The vedike had called for the "rail roko" demanding the inclusion of the Toranagallu-Bellary section in the Hubli Division. What was expected to be a symbolic protest became a serious affair with the participation of the Dharwad North MP, Vijay Sankeshwar. Patil Puttappa, Chairman of the vedike, acknowledged the support of Mr. Sankeshwar for the agitation.

The Hubli-Bangalore Inter-City Express was the first train to be stopped at the railway station here. Both Mr. Sankeshwar and Mr. Puttappa climbed up on to the locomotive and held a banner and placards while their supporters squatted on the tracks.

M.Nagaraja Rao, senior journalist from Bellary, and Anil Kumar Patil, leader of the Congress in the Hubli-Dharwad City Corporation, participated in the agitation. Rajagopalan was the lone senior official of the South Western Railway present when the agitation began.

The Railway officials perhaps hoped to restore services after Mr. Sankeshwar left the spot. But the MP stayed on throughout the agitation. After waiting for some time, passengers disembarked from the train and claimed refund.

The Hyderabad-Tirupati-Kolhapur Haripriya Express was the next train to be stopped by the protesters.

Two other trains to Miraj and Bangalore were also blocked. Soon word spread that all trains were being cancelled and no train was expected to leave Hubli or pass through Hubli during the day.

Mr. Sankeshwar climbed down only when the engine was turned off and was assured that the train would not leave the station.

Mr. Puttappa and Mr. Sankeshwar said they would not leave the platform till the agitation ended.

Mr. Puttappa told presspersons that the vedike would decide on its future course of action depending on the response of the Centre to the agitation. He accused the Telugu Desam Party of applying pressure on the Centre on the issue. He demanded that Bandaru Dattatreya, Union Minister of State for Railways, be sacked for his "partisan role" in the delay over transferring the Toranagallu-Bellary line to the Hubli Division.

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