The first-ever official SilverLine debate has triggered a controversy even before a word has been spoken. The organisers, Kerala Rail Development Corporation Ltd (K-Rail), has replaced three panelists: the moderator and one speaker each from the opposing sides.
It is the removal of IT expert and social commentator Joseph C Mathew that has invited sneers. Mathew, a trenchant critic of the Pinarayi Vijayan government, has been replaced with Sridhar Radhakrishnan, an engineer and a reputed environmental activist. The K-Rail has not offered any explanation for the change.
Joseph C Mathew said he had not been informed about his removal. "I came to know of it only through the media," he told reporters. He said that the invite had come from the Chief Secretary's office.
He hinted that even he was surprised that he was made part of the panel. "If they had not invited me, I would not have even thought why they had ignored me," Mathew said, and added: "But I was called and when there is a reconsideration, the Chief Secretary should have shown the basic courtesy to call me up and tell me of the change of plans."
Mathew said the government would have been uncomfortable with the political questions that he would have raised. "I would like to know whether the LDF government had assured the Centre that the project would be implemented with 74% private funding. I have documents to prove that they have. But this is against the CPM's stated policy on private investment. And if this project is implemented in the PPP (Public-Private-Partnership) mode, the government was duty-bound to secure the prior permission of at least 70% of the affected population," Mathew said. "I would have asked these questions and the government would not have wanted to offer a platform to people who ask such uncomfortable questions," he added.
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan said there was politics behind the move. "The decision was taken following strong political pressure," Satheesan said in a Facebook post on Monday. He termed Mathew's removal as "mysterious". "He was invited by the Chief Secretary. And now his removal in the wake of pressure exerted by the K-Rail is mysterious," the Opposition leader said. "Is the K-Rail MD above the Chief Secretary of the state," he asked.
Satheeesan said it would be foolish to expect anything more from a government that had intolerance as its trademark. "This government was intolerant even when cultural leaders and the children of former CPI leaders publicly expressed their disapproval of the project. Such prejudice is unacceptable. This is an extreme right-wing government," Satheesan said.
Science and Technology principal secretary K P Sudheer, who was originally chosen as the moderator, has been replaced with Mohan A Menon, the head of National Railway Academy.
Digital University vice chancellor Saji Gopinath, one of the panelists for SilverLine, has also been replaced. His busy work schedule was cited as the reason. Former VC of Digital University Kuncheria P Isaac will take his place.
The debate will pit three noted SilverLine opponents - former Indian Railways Service officer Alok Kumar Verma who was also the lead consultant of the SilverLine preliminary feasibility study, environmental scientist R V G Menon and activist Sridhar - against three supporters: Railway Board former member Subodh Jain, former Digital University vice chancellor Kuncheria P Isaac and the president of Thiruvananthapuram Chamber of Commerce and Industry, N S Raghuchandran Nair
Each speaker will have 10 minutes to present his case. Alok Verma will open the debate followed by Subodh Jain. Each speaker will be followed by a speaker on the opposing side.
After the six speakers have made their 10-minute remarks, like in American presidential debates, the moderator will put questions to each of the speakers. This question and answer session is scheduled for 30 minutes. In all, the debate is expected to last 100 minutes.
Alok Verma, the most vocal critic of the project, had arrived in Kerala on April 20 and had been holding discussions with environmentalists and politicians, including opposition leader V D Satheesan. Verma, however, was not able to meet Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and chief secretary V P Joy.
Verma has raised serious doubts about the use of standard gauge technology. He was the lead consultant of a team of experts formed by the general consultant of the project, France-based Systra, to draw up the preliminary feasibility report. The team had cautioned K-Rail against the use of standard gauge.
Verma alleged that the final report was prepared without the mandatory ground surveys and ridership analysis. He had also said that K-Rail had used inaccurate topographic data of Google Earth to draw up the SilverLine alignment.
R V G Menon, on his part, had argued that Kerala was making use of a technology that Japan had no use of and was keen to dump on developing nations. He said the relatively low interest of JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) funds was nothing but a ruse to prod Kerala into accepting old standard gauge technology.
