P J Joseph’s campaign chariot rolls from
Mumbai to Kanykumari for
high-speed rail-road corridor

The bugle was sounded in the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji, at Hutatma Chowk, in Mumbai, the very place where hundreds of people had sacrificed their lives for unified Maharashtra, for a national cause mooted by P J Joseph for the realisation of the high-speed Mumbai – Kanyakumari rail-road corridor.

The giant project would cover states on the east coast, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The campaign was flagged off by celebrated film director and social activist Mahesh Bhatt.

Mahesh Bhatt was convinced that this campaign would prove to be a historic moment. When the project takes off, those who have given shape to the mega idea and those who worked behind the campaign would ever be remembered, he added. People would have to dream about big development.


Former Railway Minister Ram Naik who addressed the gathering reminisced that the venue of the campaign roll out was the fighting field where more than a hundred lives were lost in connection with the unified Maharashtra cause.

The vehicle jatha commenced its journey on January 12, the day of Swami Vivekananda Jayanti. It was meaningful that the campaign was for a mega project linking Mumbai with Kanyakumari, famous for its Swami Vivekananda memorial.

People and leaders cutting across party line participated in the inaugural function and subsequent receptions at select points en route. A large number of party workers from Kerala and activists of Malayali associations, organisations of Keralites settled in Mumbai and local enthusiasts had converged on the Hutatma Chowk for the flag-of ceremony.
MPs P C Thomas and Francis George, Kerala’s PWD Minister Mons Joseph, and others were present.
P J Joseph said that the MPs had submitted memoranda to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav. The Centre has already ordered for a techno-economic survey.

In European countries and Japan, bullet trains are available for long-distance journey. On an average bullet trains cover 1,000 kms in eight hours. Our Rajadhani Express trains maintain 70 kms per hour speed in India. There should be a concerted effort from all corners to introduce bullet trains when journey to Kerala would be less time consuming.

Mohan Rawale, MP from Maharashtra, MLA Annie Shekhar, BMC corporator Vinod Shekhar, CITU state secretary P R Krishnan, Minorities Commission vice-chairman Abraham Mathai and V K Khader were among those who graced the inaugural function.

From Kerala, Former Minister T U Kuruvilla, MLA, Surendran Pillai, MLA, former MP Vakkachen Mattathil, Antony raju, John K Mathews, K F Varghese, E P Mathew, Jacob Abraham, Mathew George, D K John, Kulathoor Kunjukrishna Pillai, Thottathil Mohamed, Shibu Thekkumpuram, Mathew Kunnappally, Raju Neduvampuram, advocate Chandralekha and a host of others were among the participants.

The entourage was received with fanfare at Thane, Wagle Estate, Vashi, Kerala House, Lonavala, Pune and other important points.

The jatha proceeded along Pune, Ratnagiri,Panaji and Mangalore. It would cross Kasargod in Kerala and proceed to Kanyakumari where the concluding function would be held on January 31.