Day before yesterday Coimbatore today Pollachi 2mrw???
Decision to attach the 70-odd km Pollachi-Palakkad and Pollachi-Kinathukadavu metre gauge sections with the Palakkad division has disappointed the people in the area.Following an assurance that Podanur, Coimbatore and Tirupur will form part of the proposed Salem railway division, the Salem Railway Division Protection Struggle Committee on Tuesday called off the proposed rally by all political parties and other organisations scheduled for September 13.The students who were on a fast unto death since Monday also announced their decision to temporarily withdraw the agitation.
Tense moments prevailed at Gandhipuram bus stand area on Tuesday morning when the number of students participating in the hunger fast increased from 12 to 78.A number of college students expressing solidarity to the agitation had gathered in large numbers raising slogans condemning the Union Railway Minister and the Kerala Chief Minister. Two students who were on a fast since Monday afternoon swooned and the authorities rushed them to the hospital.Even as the authorities were trying to defuse the tense situation, two students of the Government Law College climbed up an advertisement hoarding on a shopping complex pressing for their demands. After persuasion, the authorities managed to get the students come down safely.
The students also blocked Marudhamalai Road near the college for a short time and later joined their colleagues at Gandhipuram. A group of agitators led by advocate Tamilarasan commenced a fast unto death at Sulur over the same issue. The Communist Party of India said that the party would send telegrams to the Prime Minister and the Railway Minister demanding inclusion of Coimbatore and Tirupur in the new division, a release from party district secretary R.A. Govindarajan said.
Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry president D. Balasundaram said the Palakkad division had always given the Coimbatore region stepmotherly treatment.General secretary of the Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam and co-ordinator of the struggle committee, K. Ramakrishnan said that the proposed rally was called off following an assurance conceding the demand of the agitators.The students, announcing the temporary withdrawal of their agitation, termed the announcement as only a partial victory for their agitation.They condemned the MPs for having agreed to part with Kinathukkadavu and Pollachi in Tamil Nadu (currently under the Madurai Division) to Palakkad division.
