Palakkad (Kerala), Aug 26 (IANS) On the most important day of the year for Malayalis, when families across Kerala sit down to a traditional Onam feast, Congress MPs from North Kerala will spend the day on hunger strike, choosing protest over the 26-course Thiruvonam sadhya to oppose the proposed restructuring of the Palakkad Railway Division.

The UDF has mounted a strong protest against the Railway Board’s decision to transfer areas including Mangaluru station from the Palakkad Division to the Mysuru Division of the South Western Railway.

The MPs started the hunger strike on Wednesday morning, accusing the BJP-led Centre of taking the decision with an eye on the forthcoming Karnataka elections.

The protest acquires added significance as it comes on Thiruvonam, Kerala’s most important festival, when the traditional sadhya is at the heart of family celebrations.

The MPs’ decision to forgo the elaborate feast is being projected as a symbolic expression of their opposition to what the Congress-led UDF sees as a major setback to Kerala’s railway interests.

Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan has also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a reconsideration of the Railway Board’s decision.

He pointed out that the Kerala government was not consulted before such an important decision was taken, despite its potential impact on the state’s railway infrastructure and future development prospects.

The financial implications are at the centre of the controversy.

The transfer is expected to give the Mysuru Division an additional Rs 500–600 crore in annual revenue, while the Palakkad Division could lose around Rs 1,100 crore a year with the loss of Panambur and other areas.

The Palakkad Division is particularly dependent on freight traffic, which accounts for nearly 90 per cent of its revenue.

The loss of Mangaluru Central and Mangaluru Junction would also affect its passenger revenue.

The UDF argues that although the Railways, as a whole, may not lose revenue, since the earnings would effectively move from one division to another, Kerala stands to lose both revenue and influence over a strategically important railway network.

The larger concern is the future of the Palakkad Division itself.

With a substantial portion of its revenue-generating territory transferred elsewhere, the UDF fears that its financial viability could weaken and eventually raise questions about its very existence.

For the Congress MPs, therefore, this Thiruvonam is not about the sadhya. It is about making a political statement even if that means missing the feast that symbolises Kerala’s celebration of togetherness.

–IANS

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