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Back to Come on Kannadiga
Railway
Infrastructure in Karnataka needs lots of improvement
The last Railway Budget in Karnataka was yet another disappointment with
expectations pierced as always to the thrash! As one analyses and searches
for the dilemma for our continuous failures in convincing the center that,
we are worth more than what we are always treated to be…
The typical Kannadiga who is a non-assertive, non-aggressive personality and
the relevance of this prototype in the societal mix, which menaces to make
him a sub-distinctive entity, is a matter of grave concern for Karnataka.
The last budget as usual rallied across the expectations that we would be
given a fair pie, but disappointed were all but for our chief minister, who
was more than satisfied with five trains to our state and none across the
state, raised even a whisper against the step-motherly treatment meted to
our state.
Karnataka’s MPs other than the BJP were smart enough not to please the high
command by staying at the local party headquarters, for they were quite
intelligent enough as how a train would make a difference to their lives
when they have the best cars in town to take them around, while our
counterparts in Kerala irrespective of party-affiliation joined hands in
bargaining for their state.
A
weekly train between Bangalore and Ernakulam, stoppage of extension of
Trivandrum-New Delhi Express to Chandigarh. Malayalam organizations in and
around New Delhi, at Faridabad, Gurgoan asserted and thus were able to get
what they wanted! But the non-unity among the Kannada organizations is a
totally different story.
Today, when our neighboring states boast of an express train to every single
district in their state, we hardly have a train connecting the two biggest
cities Bangalore & Mangalore! And people across the state as usual are in
deep slumber and the non-assertiveness of the kannadigas, would make them
disconnected from other places.
Today trains run faster from Bangalore to Chennai, and like always, we do
not have a single direct express train to Hassan, Karwar, Chitradurga,
Shimoga, Coorg, Chamarajanagar, Uttar Kannada! I repeat, it is because we
have never been united in demanding the fulfillment of our needs! Railway
ministers have never made the difference (Karnataka had 7 Railway
ministers). This review of mine would be incomplete if I cannot provide
answers and will end up confusing you all much more!
Rajasthani Sangh in Bangalore, single-handedly pursued ministers, high-level
staff at Bangalore, Chennai and at Rail Bhavan for 3 years, with the
Rajasthan Yuvaka Sangha President always presenting himself to every person
who can make the difference and today he has every reason to be happy as
there are now regular services between Rajasthan and Bangalore (9775—Jaipur
Express) is the key result of such an initiative!
Like the Kerala ministers, why can’t our Saffron-Clad swameejis (whom we
have from every district) cross their caste-affiliations and instead of
approaching for more colleges and grants, why can’t they ask the railway
ministers for trains to cities across Karnataka and infrastructure in the
form of more grants for laying new lines (Hubli-Ankola) and spreading up the
gauge conversion projects???
Our elected representatives have never did this!!! And the latest fashion
is—getting Rajya Sabha representatives from across the state!!!
Like a baby, which until cries, one can never realize what he needs! People
of Karnataka should assert themselves or else their needs will never be
taken care of! We need a leader who like the Rajastan Yuvaka Sangh leader
would network and make a difference to our Railway infrastructure.
Now can I expect all our people (Tulus, Konkanis, Coorgis & Kannadigas),
i.e., the entire Karnataka to join in such an effort to make our state the
envy of the future???
M. Raghunandhana
Bangalore
m_raghunandana@yahoo.co.in
Back to Come on Kannadiga
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