Shankar Bhat, Yellapur, Uttara Kannada

Mr. Joe Gonsalves, I am grateful to the people of Kanara Region irrespective of their present position anywhere in the world, I am a practising advocate in High Court of Karnataka, Bangalore since 1998.
I also pained about the lethargy and lack of political will among the people's representatives to get the proper orders implemented to extent the trains up to Karwar or to start new train to Karwar from Yeshwanthpur, Bangalore.

Recently, some of the local ex-M.L.A's Ex-Minister/s, present M.P.S have met the union Minister for Railways. This is after the direction from hon'ble High court in our Writ petition PIL.

W.P.NO.8569/2010 was disposed of by issuing direction to the Railways to consider the representation and take appropriate decision regarding the extension of train up to Karwar.

Indeed the advocates from Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi District like Mr. Nayak,Mahesh Kiran Shetty, Nagaraj Hegde, Ramakrishna Hegde, Sridhar Nayak from Kumta, Vigheshwar S. Shastri, M.S. Bhagwat, S.V. Shastri and Ravi Hegde, S.R. Hegde Hudlamane both junior and senior Advocates have contributed to this noble cause in order to see that the justice is done to this neglected, golden goose disrict for politicians for innocence and resourceful district.

I also extend my sincere gratitude to people from all over the world to morally support me in this noble cause. Thank you one and all. I also hope that the high court judgement/direction will be implemented.

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Shankar S.Bhat , Yellapur, Uttara Kannada

Dear all, I am Shankar S.Bhat Advocate from Bangalore took initiative to file the Public Interest Litigation. It is definitely not to oppose the extention of Train Yeshwanthpur-Mangalore Train to Kannur. But fact remains that average passenger flow to Kannur from Bangalore to Mangalore train is very less.

Secondly, most of the district head quarters in Karnataka are connected directly to Bangalore through train connection. Uttara Kananda District is one of the most backward district in Karnataka.

I also felt that due to more floating population from Bangalore-Mangalore-Udupi-Karwar, it is just and reasonable to extend the train up to Karwar.

I am immensely grateful to Senior Advocate Sri. M. Ram Bhat for prosecuting the writ petition for us. I am also grateful to Sri. Anil Hegde adn Rajiv Gaonkar of Ankola of Yatri Sangha to take the matter up to railway Ministry.

LEt me not comment upon the senior Minister from Karnataka who has been the railway minister sinc e long. It is not a big thing if they want to do justice to People of south India.

It may be noted that without inviting any hatred with Keralites, better to start night train from Bangalore to Karwar via Mangalore so that people want to go to holy places, tourist places like,, Shravanabelagola, Belur-Halebeedu,Dharmastala, Mangalore, Kasargod, Kateel, Kollur,Thirthahalli, Udupi, Murudeshwara, Gokarna, Banawasi,Karwar,Goa are to be connected.
This is my sincere request to fellow indians.

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Kamath S, Mangalore

With all due respect to adv.Bhat's efforts, I think the already overloaded legal system is not going to come up with any solution because railways will certainly cite some technical reason (which they are good at) to reject the case. It is better not to be in the bad books of Railways by putting cases against them. Instead concerted efforts from Public and the influential MPs and Ministers should be on the lines of adding atleast one daily day and night trains from blr-mlr(one towards karwar atleast) No doubt, it is a great tourist circuit too and will help SK/konkan Region a lot.

As a proud Mlorean, I think it seems pretty selfish from our part to deny keralites their due rights of travelling by Indian railways. I second what Bulsam mentioned too abt the cultural match since centuries. Also, I feel all PILs should have something positive or else it loses fizz.

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Ramesh Padubidr, Padubidri/ Bengaluru

Well said. really hats off to the trio for taking up the legal route. The token protest/ pressure by the people's representatives has all been a big joke and waste. Hope this works out at least. It was a pure political decision to extend the train to Kannur instead of Karwar, against the logical and popular demand. I sincerely hope and pray that one day this train passes along KR upto Karwar. If KR is cold shouldering this idea, SWR can even extend this train upto Vasco so that there no clash between different zones.

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Bulsam, Mangalore

The people of region are not broad minded. They see everything through religion, caste, region & language. For a moment let us forget all the dividers and see human to human reality of the situation. You will be ashamed to find that Mangaluru/Mangalapuram was the part of Kerala culture for thousand centuries and the people of Kannur and beyond were the frequent visitors to the region. Open your eyes wide open and see the temple-architecture of our region up to the temple of Mookambika they all resemble the temples of Kerala. In fact we had no direct connection to the North Kanara/Karwar until NH-17 happened. Wake-up you narrow minded Mangaloreans!!

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Patrick R Braggs, Bejai,Mangalore

It's commendable of Advocate Shankar Bhat filing a PIL in the high court.It's also time that mangaloreans wake up to the fact that gradually Kannur is gaining prominence over Mangalore in the Railways scheme of operations.Mangalore should be made the Main junction for konkan railway and all important trains must stop at mangalore station.The problem mangalore faces is there is no one on the railway board to point out the importance of mangalore on the Konkan Railway.So let's start extending support to Mr. Bhat and be aware of any acts of ommission from the railways in future and act accordingly either by filing PIL or taking up the matter with the minister of state Railways.He being an M.P. from Karnataka.

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george borromeo, Pumpwell, Angelore, Mangalore

PIL filing by Lawyer Shanker Bhat is praise worthy. But can the Indian Justice system will rein in Indian Railways has to be seen.
Why the State Government or the Private Sector can pitch in and start a new train between Bangalore and Karwar via Mangalore? Like Air Operators operating in profitable Air routes and giving competition to Indian Air lines.

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Joe Gonsalves, Mangalore - U.S.A.

I must congratulate Shanker Bhat and others in filing the P.I.P. with regard to extension of the train from Bangalore to Kannur via Mangalore instead of extending it to Karwar. This request has been pending for some time and it is expedient that The Railways try and pay attention to the needs of the people who have tried to explain the situation to The High Court.

Once again kudos to Shanker Bhat and others.

Joe Gonsalves

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