Madikeri: The proposed two Railway Lines (Thalassery-Mysuru via South Kodagu and Hunsur-Periyapatna-Kushalnagar-Madikeri-Mangaluru) cutting across the green and ecologically sensitive Kodagu district will completely destroy the environment and will result in a major influx of Keralites into Kodagu. Already a sizable number of Keralites live in Kodagu and they are controlling the economy of Kodagu and the Railway line will make the district an appendage of Kerala, said Col. Cheppudira P. Muthanna, President, Coorg Wildlife Society. Addressing a press conference in Madikeri on Dec. 26, he said that the original inhabitants of Kodagu will be threatened by the migrants from Kerala and it would be a struggle to keep the traditional culture alive. Added to the menace of migration, environment will be destroyed and the local population will be decimated, he said. “Already, Malayalam is the second most-spoken language in Kodagu and a large number of Keralites have registered as voters. They also control local politics and some of the Gram Panchayats have their meetings in Malayalam. People of Kodagu must understand that the main objective of the Railway Line is to flood Kodagu with Keralites so that after some years, elected representatives will be Keralites and finally there will be a demand to merge Kodagu with Kerala. This is the reason why the CPM Government in Kerala is insisting on Thalassery-Mysuru Rail line through Kodagu instead of Nilambur-Nanjangud Line,” he claimed. Armed with information obtained through RTI, Col. Muthanna said that the Railway line will run from Thalassery and pass through Wayanad in Kerala and enter Kodagu at Kutta; pass through Balele-Nittoor-Kanoor and head towards Thithimathi; pass through Nagarahole National Park to reach Panchavalli and to Periyapatna.
