Kozhikode: Wayanad district without a rail link remains sharply divided when it gets closer to it. Earlier, it was only the Nilambur-Nanjangud railway project in focus. But the LDF now in power is supporting Thalassery-Mysore rail through North Wayanad.
Obviously, both of them have supporters in the hilltop district. While the merchants of Kalpetta and Sulthan Bathery strongly support the Nilambur-Nanjangud, the trading community of Mananthavady opposes it tooth and nail.
Mananthavady Merchants’ Association president K. Usman told this newspaper that the LDF government roped in ‘Metro Man’ E. Sreedharan for the feasibility study hoping that he would take out some magic for materialising the project.
“But his report and his overtures supporting the Nilambur-Nanjangud railway project reveals his interests,” he said.
Now if one wants to go the Mysore from Kannur by train, he has to go to Shoranur. As per the report of E. Sreedharan itself, the distance between Thalassery and Mysore would be just 206 km if the rail project materialised.
The distance between Mananthavady and Mysore would be around 70 km. A people’s survey has revealed that the distance between Thalassery and Mysore can be further reduced to 145.5 km.
Mr Usman further pointed out that the proposed Thalassery-Mysore railway line can cross the jungle zones covering just five to 10 kilometres as there are narrow forest stretches.
Sulthan Bathery MLA I.C. Balakrishnan of the Congress is spearheading the agitation for the Nilambur-Nanjangud line while Kalpetta MLA C.K. Saseendran who is also supporting the project is in a fix, as the CPM Kannur lobby is batting for the Thalassery-Mysore line.
In Mananthavady both Congress and CPM supports the Thalassery-Mysore line.
It was not a secret that Mr Sreedharan has been promoting the Nilambur-Nanjangud railway project for the last many months. Convinced by the possibilities of the project, Mr Sreedharan had conducted an independent feasibility study for the action council which helped in winning support.
Sulthan Bathery MLA I.C. Balakrishnan told this newspaper that the all-out support of people who supported the hartal call by the action council itself reveals popular support. “All shops and business establishments of Mananthavady also were closed down in support of the strike,” he added.
