Political parties across the spectrum – with the sole exception of the state unit of the BJP – are railing against the shattering blow dealt to Kerala’s rail development dreams and hopes. Never before in the history of the railway budget has Kerala been treated so shabbily, aver both the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) and the opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF).

You people did not care to send a single BJP representative to the Lok Sabha in the recent parliamentary election. You have to pay the political penalty for this ‘serious lapse’. That is the unmistakable message sent out by the rail budget.

The BJP has been trumpeting day in and day out that the rail budget will reflect a national perspective. But this one boasts anything but a national outlook. If anything, it smacks of petty politics animated by a spirit of vendetta against states ruled by Congress governments, save Maharashtra. Maharashtra has managed to secure a decent deal not because the Modi Government is particularly enamoured of the state but because the state is set to go to the polls soon.

The politics permeating the rail budget is clear from the fact that while Kerala has been allocated only a paltry Rs 376 crore, Telengana and Andhra Pradesh, where the BJP fought the LS polls in alliance with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) have been given an astounding Rs 20,000 crore! Again, while Kerala’s long-standing demand for a Rapid Rail Transport system has been ignored, Karnataka’s plea for a suburban service has been readily granted. After all, Karnataka is the home state of the new Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda. As if this was not enough, the State has bagged a premium train, three express trains, and four new railway lines!

As against this, all that Kerala has managed to get is a single passenger train between Kasargod in Kerala and Baindur in Kartanaka. Even this train will benefit passengers from Karnataka more as bulk of its journey is through that state; the train will cover only 40 km in Kerala! As for new lines, Kerala has been allotted just one: Kanhangad-Panathur stretch, one among the 18 new surveys. Obviously, what is sauce for the goose is not sauce for the gander.

Particular mention must be made of the shocking attitude of the Kerala BJP. Instead of siding with the other parties in voicing a sense of indignation at the step-motherly treatment meted out to Kerala, the state BJP has decided to take out a march against the Congress-led UDF Government in the state for its failure to effectively presenting the state’s case before the authorities in time! The BJP’s act is tantamount to rubbing salt into the state’s wounds.

Understandably, both the UDF and LDF are planning powerful agitations against the cruel neglect of Kerala in the rail budget. Leader of the Opposition V S Achuthanandan encapsulated the sense of anger sweeping the state in his succinct remarks: For the BJP, it is as if Kerala does not exist!

The expectations that the new Railway Minister, who is well aware of the problems of Kerala, will be sympathetic to the state have been dashed to the ground. Gowda, who speaks Malayalam well, has been anything but mindful of Kerala’s case. Such invidious discrimination against states not ruled by the BJP or its allies cut at the very root of the concept of federalism which animates the Indian polity.

The rail budget maintains a deafening silence on Kerala’s long-standing demand for a Peninsular Railway Zone headquartered at either Palakkad or Thiruvananthapuram. It is also mum on the state’s request for a suburban train service from Thiruvananthapuram to Chengannur, which would have benefited thousands of office goers and other train passengers.

Another dream project of the state – the rail coach factory at Kanjikkode in Palakkad district, has been given only a paltry Rs 25 lakh! Incidentally, the coach factory at Rae Bareli, announced at the same time as the Kanjikkode factory, has already started rolling out coaches. The public sector unit, the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) is ready to partner the State in the construction of the coach factory. But, like the erstwhile UPA II government, the Modi government is also disinclined to allow the SAIL to take up the work. The reason is not difficult to divine: The Modi Government shares its passion for privatization with the erstwhile Manmohan Singh Government. Hence the cold shoulder to Kerala’s proposal to partner SAIL in the project. There is also no word on the wagon-making unit at Cherthala, which was declared in the budget years ago.

In the ultimate analysis, the Modi Government has given Kerala the cold shoulder it certainly does not deserve. There is widespread apprehension that, if this is the fate of the state in the rail budget, what will be in store for it in the Union Budget which will be presented on 10 July? An inflamed Kerala is waiting with bated breath. (IPA Service)