Mangalore: Students rise in unison against Yettinahole project
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje / Meryick D'Silva
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (BG/MD)
Mangalore, Feb 22: Students from colleges across the city on Saturday February 22 rose in protest against the proposed Netravati diversion or Yettinahole project, demanding its immediate withdrawal.
Thousands of students along with teachers marched in a rally from Dr Ambedkar circle to DC's office where a protest meet was held. The protest was organized under the aegis of Karavali Jeevanadi Netravati Samrakshana Samiti.
Addressing the gathering, former MLA Vijaykumar Shetty said, "All political parties are selfish, including Congress. For their personal gains, political leaders across party lines are silent on this issue. If this project is implemented, farmers and fishermen will face lots of problems. The Western Ghats will be destroyed and Dakshina Kannada will turn into a barren land."
Criticizing the government for approving the project without people's interests at heart, M G Hegde said, "The government has approved the project without even taking the people into confidence. Approving any project without taking people's opinions into consideration is an insult to democracy and to their dignity."
Training guns on union minister Dr Veerappa Moily's son Harsha Moily for supporting the project, Hegde warned, "If Harsha Moily supports this river diversion, we will divert him from the district.
Throwing an open challenge to former chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda, Veerappa Moily and Harsha Moily, he said, "If you have guts, come and hold discussions with us on this project within a week. If not, we will call for a district-wide bandh and stall the Bangalore-Mangalore gas pipeline project."
President of All College Students' Union Dinakar Shetty said, "Recently a 'Bharata Gellisi' rally was held in Mangalore, but instead there should have been 'Netravati Ulisi' programme. The water that we use for our daily needs comes from the Netravati. Hence if it is diverted the entire district will be affected."
Referring once again to the Bharata Gellisi rally, he said, "You have the power to unite 3 lac people for a programme, so why you support this cause?"
Fr Francis Almeida of St Aloysius College, Smitha Shenoy of Besant College, Denis D'Silva, Sahaj Rai, Nemiraj Shetty, Rakshith Poojary, Uttam Alva, Roopesh, T K Sudhir, Shashiraj Shetty Kolambe, Dinesh Holla, Ramanand Poojary, Ashith Pereira, Norbert Lobo, and others were present.
St Aloysius College, St Agnes College, Srinivas College, Padua College, SDM College, Canara College, Badriya College, Rosario College, Bharati College, School of Social Work, Roshni Nilaya, Sree Devi College, Besant College, and associations like NSUI, Youth Congress and others took part.
Protest at St Aloysius College
Prior to the rally, the students of St Aloysius Degree College held a protest within their campus, backed by the college administration.
Addressing the gathering, principal of the college Fr Swebert D'Silva said, "My appeal to everyone is fight together against what is happening to our district and how we are being treated. Young people are the ones who can fight for justice. Everyone must join hands in this fight."
He further added, "Diversion of river is a violation of nature. Any violence on nature cannot be tolerated. We should protest against it and show our displeasure."
Student council president of the college Pratheek Ponnanna said, "The Netravati river has given us so much all these years, and now what are they doing? There is no humanity left. People of this district will have to drink saline water in future. We are killing our own people. Our district has produced so many intelligent people but they going againt the district or remaining silent on the issue. Students already complain of scarcity of water in the washrooms in colleges. What will happen in future? We all know what happened in Uttarakhand last year. As Mangaloreans, we need to join hands and fight for this cause."
Environmental activist and coordinator of Sahyadri Samrakshana Sanchaya Dinesh Holla said, "They are kidnapping our river. It's been happening since 12 years. The main reason given to divert the river is to provide water to Kolar. But in reality, everything happens for money. If we sit quiet now we will have to bear the consequences in future. They will destroy the Western Ghats. The project is a money making business, and in the end neither we nor people in Bangalore will get any water. Hence, all students have come out on the streets to demand withdrawal of the project."
Criticizing Veerappa Moily, he said, "Veerappa Moily who rose to importance from our district is also in killing the Netravati river. The government is also involved. Today your (students') voice should be heard in Vidhana Soudha and lead to positive change."