COIMBATORE: Associations affiliated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) staged a protest in front of the Coimbatore district collectorate on Tuesday, demanding the operation of government buses to Anna Nagar, an SC village, as caste Hindus from Kembanur are allegedly preventing the entry of TNSTC buses.
They demanded the district administration to take immediate action on operating the TNSTC buses (route number 21 and 21B) to Anna Nagar as per the prescribed route chart.
The members of Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front (TNUEF), Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) and Students Federation of India (SFI) participated in the protest.
TNSTC operates 17 trips in a day to Kembanur. However, the buses go to Anna Nagar, located 400 metres away from the village, on only seven trips, and buses 21 and 21B do not go to Anna Nagar. Bus no 21 has made just one trip to Anna Nagar, before facing opposition from the residents of Kembanur. “Those from the dominant community oppose operation of buses to Anna Nagar as SC residents occupy the seats, and they have to travel by standing," the protesters alleged.
Further, they alleged that due to caste bias, there is no bus service to Anna Nagar from 10.30 am to 4 pm.
"We hope that the government and the district administration will not allow this practice," said M Dinesh Raja, district secretary of DYFI.
After a TNIE report on August 22, the chairperson of the State Commission for SC/ST directed the district collector and TNSTC regional general manager to operate buses to Anna Nagar, and submit a report by September 24.
A senior official serving in the post of general manager with TNSTC, requesting anonymity, said the decision on extending bus services to Anna Nagar is up to the district administration.
"Bus no 21 was operated to Anna Nagar during the previous regime, and it was stopped after some issues. The actual route for the bus is between Gandhipuram and Kembanur, and we are ready to operate the buses for another 400 metres. Currently, we operate four buses on seven round-trips to Anna Nagar, but people are demanding buses between 10 am and 3 pm. We don't have any administrative issues and external threats to extend the bus service. However, the district administration should take a decision," the officer said.