Kiran, Manipal

Some of the posts criticizing the protest do not seem to be aware of the earlier protests including a rail-roko in November last year. It is noteworthy that some politicians have been actively pursuing this cause, whereas some others with better access to the center have only issued one or two sympathetic comments on this issue. While I do not want to make this post a political statement, I would like to make it clear that the people of this region would like some action/reaction/results instead of a few words of sympathy.

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B S NAIK, Puttur

It's known fact that the central govt and railway ministry run by sonia-laloo express, the Karnataka coastal districts are not going to get anything from the centre and always get fooled as all these areas are not in ruling party's hand. It is a partiality played by the congress at centre. Our elected representatives for centre are not strong enough to get things done for DK.

Since 2004 no any development work has been taken up, the roads gone beyond repair in some areas like puttur, sullia. The govt. will never do better for DK till our MPs in Loksabha pressurise the PM, do a agitation there. Nobody is going to respond to this protest.

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S.K.Rajendran, Bangalore

"New Mangalore - Bangalore train service brings happiness, disappointment" Lalu Prasad Yadav announced operation of two trains between Bangalore and Mangalore, one via Mysore and the other via Arsikere. However, it is only the first train that is to be operationalised for the present (from 8 Dec., 2007).

The train service via Arsikere is the shortest route saving 2 hrs of travel time between Mangalore & Bangalore. Also this may possibly have a direct link to Chennai later. But, as usual the Indian Railways lack proper vision and do not bother to run train services to the needs of the passengers. Autonomy is the only solution.

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Vinay Mascarenhas, Mangalore

Now that the political games are over, Mr. Sadananda Gowda and his party seems to have suddenly realised that this issue will get more votes, while doing nothing for the people (except making money of course) when they were in power or the nearly 16 odd years that they have been representing the city in the assembly and in parliament. The roads to Bangalore went from bad to worse and were not even touched when they were in power in the state recently. The only thing they managed to do was help their 'friends' with lucrative mining and other contracts

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Vincy, Thailand

The whole issue of this Mangalore-Bangalore Railway project has been a mockery on the feeling of the south kanara people since last few years. I cannot digest a fact that why the passenger train launch has delayed and still unknown dates of reality. And the goods trains are successfully operating since long time now. I feel that the political leaders do not want the train service to begin. And it might cause losses for the Bus operators who are fund raisers for the political leaders. We have so well known entrepreneur, former minister Nagaraj shetty along with BJP leader Sadananda Gowda who claim that they have met the Railway Board chairman about eight times. It sounds like a publicity stunt. If intentions of the meetings were to finalize the passenger Railway project, then why there should be eight visits.

It can be done in one or two visits and then if not done, we have our strong public who can create bandh, strikes, destroying public property just a call away from the political leaders. We recently had so many Bandh in Mangalore which are politically motivated and innocent people were killed. Once the train starts then there is no work left for these people to gather and make protests which are also a political gathering in the name of Railway project delay. If the people who are named in this protest are really serious then why the party banner required at the protest and why it is a protest by different groups, different parties and different venues and different dates.

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Joe M, Mangalore/Bangalore

One more joke played on the people of the coastal districts. Let 8th December come and nothing is to going to happen. One more date will be announced and the people of the coastal districts will be fooled once again. Except flying, there is no other alternative for the people of Mangalore to go to their state capital. The roads are in deplorable and unmotorable condition.

Neither the roads are repaired nor the train is introduced, thus adding to the insult to the people of these two cities. Hope sanity will prevail and the train will start soon, if not on 8th of December. The politicians who are responsible for the resumption of the train should not be allowed to enter the coastal districts and if they do, their faces should be blackened.

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Marian D'Souza, Mangalore-Falnir

Simply waste .When it has already been officialy announced that the Mangalore-Bangalore train will make its inaugural run on Dec.8th, one fails to understand why this stupid protest now . Looks like the local MP after wasting his time in Bangalore hobnobbing with the JDs and having failed miserably and having nothing else on his agenda has suddenly launched this protest which is an utter waste .

It has resulted in only inconveniencing the passengers and the commuters at the railway station. Instead he could have taken up more pressing issues like expediting the work of concretising the Balmatta road , repair work of the Shiradi ghat road and development of constituency. This protest is just to hoodwink the people after having suffered a severe loss of face in their attempt to grab power by hook or by crook.

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Ronald S, Mangalore/Bangalore

I guess the only way to keep such politicans active is to impose president's rule permanently. Until last week, they weere too busy accumulating wealth and indulging in power games until their gvernment fell. Now that they are out of power, they have suddenly realised that the district does not have a railway line to Bangalore.

What did Mr. Sadananda Gowda and his partymen do to repair the Shiradi Ghat road (which is a state highway) for the full 20 months they were in power? Moreover, work started on it only during president's rule. If these people had ruled for another 20 months, life would have become unbearable. Let's hope they remain jobless so that they can think of people's issues once in a while

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dr veerendra, belthangady

dear editor, this protest shows the opportunistic politics of bjp. They are just mobilising the crowd to get support in future elections, in reality most of the bus lobby is controlled by bjp.

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Venance A.J.Crasta, Udyavara / Bangalore

The protest should be till the end. This is one more Bomb from the Railway Authorities regarding the inaguration date only to please the protestors to withdraw the strike/fight. Now the politicians, Railway Authorities can not fool the people always. For everything there is a end. I support the agitation.

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