Thread by @thekaipullai

Dear People who are protesting against the new Salem highway. Let me tell you a story.

There was one more protest 3 years before. At Marthandam.

The govt wanted to convert the existing Kerala highway into a four lane one. As it is one of the main routes, it was much needed

Now, Marthandam is the last town in TN and is a major junction on the highway.

And as all Kanniyakumari district towns go, it is basically a single lane road with shops on all sides.

It used to take 3 hours to go from Nagercoil to Trivandrum, a distance of 70 kms.

The govt wanted to bring it down to 60 mins. It is a project that has the potential for massive impact.

Initially the govt, decided to expand the current single lane and gave a good offer to the adjacent shopkeepers.

All was fine and smooth

And then it started

The shopkeepers, keeping in tune with TN, started protes.

They refused all offers and when the Govt tried to compromise, they said fuck it.

As a result, the govt also said fuck it and started building a 2 km flyover, which goes entirely above Marthandam.

Now, The economy of Marthandam depends on tourist traffic to Kerala.

And Starting next year, all vehicles will skip Marthandam altogether.

The local economy will come to a standstill. The tourist transit business will switch off.

The entire town will go into a coma

Which could have been prevented, had the shopkeepers agreed to the govt.

So all you guys who are protesting and commentating about the Salem highway, remember, all your protests have a cost.

And most of you protestors and commentators won't pay it.

It will be the poor.