KANNUR
Khader Mangad, former Vice Chancellor of Kannur University, has said that the people of Kerala would not allow implementation of the SilverLine project, which would destroy people’s lives.
He was inaugurating the concluding session of the third day of Anti K-Rail State Protest vehicle rally in Kannur on Thursday evening. The protest rally, which kickstarted in Kasaragod, will conclude in Thiruvanathapuram.
In a democracy, the role of the government was to protect the lives and property of the people. But the Pinarayi Vijayan government was trying to seize the property of the people and force them on to the streets.
“People will not allow a project that threatens the lives of the people by destroying the environment of the country,” he said.
He said the government was betraying the people by stating that the Japan International Cooperation Agency had agreed to finance the project at 0.25 per cent interest rate. He said the value of yen increased compared to the Indian rupee and this meant that the interest rate would be 7.5 per cent effectively. There would be a huge financial burden to the State with the implementation of the project, he opined.
The project was only for the purpose of accumulating wealth by the elite. The common man, who would lose his land, would not reap any benefits, he said. A.P. Badaruddin, district chairman of the strike committee, presided over the function. Kannur Mayor T.O. Mohanan was the chief guest. Deputy Mayor Shabeena Teacher, captain of the rally M.P. Baburaj, vice captain S. Rajeevan and others participated in the function.
