Telangana protestors bring daily life to rail tracks

HYDERABAD - From cooking and eating to shaving and playing games, they carried out their daily routine along the railway tracks. It was a unique protest in Telangana as people demanding separate statehood to the region in Andhra Pradesh squatted on the tracks to bring the movement of trains to a halt Tuesday.

Men and women were seen cooking food and serving it to protestors in several villages on the outskirts of Hyderabad and in nine other districts of Telangana.

The leaders and activists of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and other pro-Telangana groups, who were sitting on the tracks since day break, had their breakfast on the tracks.

Artisans like weavers and potters were busy doing their daily work on the tracks. Some educational institutions even took private classes while a few doctors also held medical camps.

The protestors, including women, sung popular Telangana folk songs to the accompaniment of drum beats. Several artists also joined them to add colour to the protest. There were occasional slogans of “Ek aur dhakka, Telangana pucca” and “Jai Telangana”.

Buoyed by the success of their programme, the protestors also spent time playing games on the tracks. That was not all, barbers joined the protest and their services were used by many.

Some even brought their cattle with them in response to the call given by the Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC), which is spearheading the movement.

The apex body of various pro-Telangana groups has called for daylong rail blockade and named it “palle palle pattala paiki” (every village on tracks).