Protesters go on rampage at CMC

Residents of Ambedkar Nagar against expansion of rail route in Chikkaballapur

Demanding to save the houses of Dalits in Ambedkar Nagar being demolished for expansion of the railway track, the residents of Ambedkar Nagar and members of Dalit organisations took out a massive protest march in the City. they later laid a siege to the City Municipal Council office and and went on rampage damaging the furniture. The protesters urged the police to arrest them.

Damage to infrastructure
As many as 516 houses of Dalits will be demolished rendering more than 4,000 Dalits homeless on account of the “unilateral decision” of the Railway Department. The government and the public representatives have not bothered to hear our plea, despite staging protest for the 15 days, they alleged.

The government has carried out various development works - construction of road, drainage, community hall, school, anganwadi centre and library under various schmes by spending lakhs of rupees with a view to provide better infrastructure facilities for the residents. Now, all these structures, constructed at the cost of huge amount of public money will be razed to ground purely on account of the ‘anti-people’ attitude of the Railway Department. The proposed move by the Railway Department will result in destruction of the  property of the government - the infrastructure necessities for a decent living standards of citizens apart from wreaking havoc on the lives of Ambedkar Nagar residents, they said.

Attention drawn
The opposition to extension of rail route was made known by laying siege to the Deputy Commissioner’s office, a month ago. Memorandums were submitted to Union Minister of State for Railways K H Muniyappa and Union Law Minister, Veerappa Moily. Attention was drawn by stopping trains and blocking traffic on the Highway. However, no one has come to rescue of dalits so far.

The protesters demanded to shift the railway track near the houses of Dalits or provide houses to them at the place identified by the aggrieved people.
Ambedkar Nagar Residents Welfare Association president Rajakanth, vice-president N Srinivas, secretary M Venu and others took part.