On the right track: Keralites8217; innovative dharna for a train

PUNE, Nov 12: In what could be termed as a revolutionary mode of displaying unity, four lakh-odd Keralites residing in metropolitan Pune are...

PUNE, Nov 12: In what could be termed as a revolutionary mode of displaying unity, four lakh-odd Keralites residing in metropolitan Pune are all geared to flaunt their rich cultural tradition and food heritage to Puneites and also make grounds to meet their demands.

Yes, without clutching on to the conventional methods of agitations and rasta rokos, the Keralite community under the Pune Malayalee Federation PMF, a conglomeration of 30 Keralite organisations in Pune, is to hold the Kerala Festival 19988242; in the B J Medical College Grounds on November 14 and 15.

Their grievance dates back to a few months 8212; January 1998 to be precise 8212; when the Konkan Railway started off. This saw the steady diversion of several South-bound trains, bypassing Pune. As against 22 trains that were available to them in a week, only eight trains are available weekly now.

As against 350-odd seat reservations that were available from the Pune quota, now only 80-odd seats are available, every week.

Protests through lettersand visits to the authorities including correspondence to Union Minister of Railways Ram Naik to increase the number of trains passing through the city, have yielded no results. C Shamsuddin, president of the Pune Malayalee Federation points out that 8220;They think we are just a few hundred people who are not worth lending an ear to. Actually, we are four lakh of us and we definitely need train facility. Today, even after booking two months in advance, our waiting list number is 200-odd. This festival will show our demographic strength and then we wish to follow up the matter more determinedly.8221;

The food festival promises to be a live demo of Kerala tourism with 25 foodstalls doling out the Kappa-Meen tapioca and fish, idli and appams, puttu-kadala and biryani-Kerala style amongst others. As for the cultural shows, the kathakali, mohini attam, and folk dances like margamkali and oppana will rule the roost.

Says J Sadasivan, general secretaryof the PMF, 8220;Earlier we had the Netravati Express which used to run daily and the Rajkot Express which used to run weekly. Both these trains used to ply via Palakkad towards North Kerala, touching Kozhikodu formerly Calicut, Kannur, Mangalore, Kasargod and Thalassery thus covering nearly half of Kerala. These come no more via Pune.8221;

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Now, he complains that only the Jayanti Janata which runs daily and has only 78 seats for Pune and Trivandrum Express which runs weekly with eight Pune reservation quota are available.

Thanks to the Konkan Railway which has made life easy for Keralites living in Mumbai, the private buses that used to ply everyday from Mumbai via Pune and on to Belgaum, Udupi and Mangalore, have received a heavy setback.

Informs Shamsuddin, 8220;Till January this year, 100 luxury buses used to head towards Mangalore, everyday. But now since the Mumbaiites prefer trains, now hardly five luxury buses come from Mumbai. So, we are totally stranded. The earlier option of travelling by bus is alsonot available to us now.8221;

U Narayanan, Secretary, Finance, rues that 8220;Where8217;s the connecting flight too in case of emergency? Now, we are forced to go to Mumbai first. We are travelling 35 years back now to proceed to our hometown. Otherwise, we engage private tempos or Trax, to go by road. Now, we have this important three month festival of Sabrimala. Earlier, many of us used to go to Kerala for it. Now, it seems we have to change our very culture because of travelling inconveniences.8221;