Protest simmers over India's first bullet train

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Protests have started simmering over India’s first bullet train, inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at Sabarmati on Thursday.

Lawyer Rajinder Sachar, former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court, issued a press statement expressing displeasure over the project. “Modi’s bullet train venture is a cruel joke and ridicules on the poor of India,” he said.

Sachar also cited a World Bank report that claims India has 224 million people living below the international poverty line of around 120 rupees (1.7 US dollars) a day.

September 14, 2017: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (C) and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (3rd L) attend a ground breaking ceremony for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail project in Ahmedabad. PIB / AFP Photo

Sachar called out political parties and trade unions to register their protest against the bullet train. He questioned the logic behind the project: “The fare could be around two times the existing air conditioned first class fare or almost the same as air fare of over 3,000 to 3,500 rupees.”

The bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad under the High Speed Rail (HSR) project will hurtle at a speed of 350 km/hour to cover a distance of 509 km in two hours. Currently, train journeys between the two cities takes over seven hours.

The total cost of the project is estimated to be around 17 billion US dollars. Japan is providing 80 percent of the amount in a loan at a .1 percent interest rate over a 50-year repayment cycle.

Tribal and farmers protest

A joint feasibility study on the HSR claims that tribal and farmers would lose their land and livelihood in Gujarat and Maharashtra because of land acquisition for the project.

Tribal activists protest at Boisar Station against the inauguration of bullet train in India. Ekta Parishad Photo

Sunil Parhad, an activist of Adivasi Ekta Parishad, a tribal rights group, told CGTN that a large number of schedule tribes would be adversely affected.

“Tribals are not ready to give their land for the HSR project. But the surveyors are marking the land and threatening tribal families. We organized protest against the project today,” he said over the phone from Palghar district.

Parishad has formed a consortium of 24 rights groups to intensify their protests. Today, protests were held at Boisar Station located in the suburbs of Mumbai.

The constitution of the India entitles schedule tribes to decide their participation in development project. The village level committee convenes a meeting with the villagers to jointly decide on whether they want to participate in the project or not.

HSR Inauguration

During the ground breaking ceremony, Prime Minister Modi lauded his Japanese counterpart for providing the loan and technical assistance for the project.

“Japan has shown that it is a true friend of India,” Modi said. “The next generation of growth will happen in places which have high-speed corridors. The transport system plays an important role in ensuring connectivity in the country. People of the country will make use of this connectivity in many ways,” he said.

Addressing a large gathering at the ceremony, Abe said, “Nothing is impossible if India and Japan work together. PM Modi is a far-sighted leader.”

Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal obliquely addressed the protests. He said similar unrest erupted when Rajdhani Express trains were launched in India a decade back. “Now, everyone wants to travel on the Rajdhani Express,” he said.

The fully air-conditioned Rajdhani Express connects India’s state capitals with the national capital and witnesses’ heavy rush of passengers throughout the year.