[Reader-list] Story of the Bangalore Metro Rail

[Zainab Bawa]

26/02/2008

I was sitting in the verandah of the Karnataka High Court. That day, Judge
K. L. Manjunath was to pass an order on whether the alignment of the Metro
Rail should run along CMH Road or along Old Madras Road. The Bangalore Metro
Rail Corporation has been fighting tooth and nail to ensure that the
alignment of the Metro stays on CMH Road. The traders along CMH Road argue
that their trades will be shut for two years, in addition to the
displacement that will take place owing to the demolition of a number of
shops to build the Metro. "We have made CMH Road what it is today. Who wants
compensation? We want our place!"

"We want our place!"
"We want our place!"
"We want our place!"
"We want our place!"
"We want our place!"
"We want our place!"
"We want our place!"
"We want our place!"

26/02/2008

I was sitting in the verandah of the Karnataka High Court. That day, Judge
K. L. Manjunath was to pass an order on whether the alignment of the Metro
Rail should run along CMH Road or along Old Madras Road. I found myself as
nervous, perhaps even more nervous than the traders whose fates were to be
determined by a legal order. Well, but of course, in the city, our fates are
sealed by forces more than one, that is if the avenues for negotiations
remain open. So eventually, I asked one of the traders, "Are you nervous?"
He smiled and said, "We are confident. God is on our sides." Now, I wonder
how God aligns himself/herself and how we align God and how the BMRCl aligns
God ...

The arguments took place in the court. At one point, the counsel for the
BMRCL openly stated, "The court is not a forum for deciding on the merits
and demerits of economic and administrative policies." The judge was not
perturbed by this statement. Eventually, the judge declares that the court
is not the authority to decide on the alignment of the Metro. Neither can
people question the genesis of the Metro. The plan and infrastructure are
declared supreme!

(Is there anything more to say?) ....

For more details, see
http://www.citizenmatters.in/articles/view/81-cmh-road-no-to-metro



-- 
Zainab Bawa
Ph.D. Student and Independent Researcher

Between Places ...
http://wbfs.wordpress.com