Beda brigade shows steely resolve, asserts stand at Sunday satyagraha

BENGALURU: WAKE-UP CALL Bengalureans Pour Into Freedom Park Against Govt's Reluctance To Give In; Root For Better Public Transport
Over a hundred #SteelFlyoverBeda crusaders sat on a day-long fast at Freedom Park on Sunday to reaffirm the city's resistance to the government building the steel structure from Basaveshwara Circle to Hebbal.
Scores of citizens poured into the park through the day , with each participant getting an opportunity to speak from the dais.Cancel the tender! read a display in the backdrop, driving home their determination to take the fight to its logical conclusion.
Bengaluru-based folk-fusion band Swarathma lent the protest a car nivalesque touch, belting out numbers including one against the steel flyover. Underlining the spirit of satyagraha, a half-an hour silence followed the band's performance. Despite being unwell, Jnanpith Award winner and playwright Girish Karnad dropped by to show solidarity to the cause. “The word BEDA is what we are all saying.There are other alternatives,“ he said.
Srinivas Allavilli, a software professional and member of Citizens for Bangalore, wasn't just fasting but keeping the crowd together. “We are grateful to Girish Karnad for coming here and supporting us. We have the support of over 25 RWAs and over 40 more have pledged support.We want them to pass a resolution against the flyover.Bengaluru has over 300 RWAs and their support is crucial to us,“ he said.
“As of what I have come to know, officials are trying to turn it into a NHAI project so that it doesn't need public consultation. It's not possible to finish the project in two years. Consider the number of projects stuck because of land acquisition issues, like the incomplete Hennur flyover. People should start visualizing how this stretch with a flyover will look,“ said infrastructure analyst Sumitra Iyengar.
“We need a holistic trans portation plan, which should be a part of the Comprehensive Development Plan. Map the city and get the surveys done. Mark the green belts, and the yellow and red zones. All the experts have said no to the flyover but the government still wants to go ahead with it.Why?“ Sumitra added.
“The government is capable of doing so many good things if they wish to. The life of a steel flyover can hardly be compared to the life of a tree.There is so much negativity around the project and so many good voices against it that the government should listen and take their advice,“ said Bengaluru-based cartoonist, illustrator and entrepreneur Paul Fernandes.
N S Mukunda , Chairperson of Citizens Action Forum, that filed the petition against the steel flyover, said, “We will take it further for hearing and arguments. The project isn't feasible. Almost 3,30,000 vehicles ply on the stretch every day , about 34,000 during peak hours. Alternate routes will reduce the congestion and make commuting easier.“
Among the fasting crusaders was performance artiste Deepti Sudhindra, who said, “I hope for a deeper `conscious integration' between the citizens and the government through this process. I'm concerned about the environmental fallout of the bridge. Collectively we can come up with solutions and suggestions.“
“We should aim to make Bengaluru the most beautiful and environmentally-friendly city,“ Deepti added.
Sridhar Pabbisetty, CEO, Namma Bengaluru Foundation, who was also present there, said, “There are enough determined minds to take this fight forward. Some of the questions that we are asking through the satyagraha are how should Bengaluru's future be shaped and what is the role of citizens. Also, what is the government's responsibility in bringing self-attested projects for Bengaluru and be accountable to the citizens?“