Shiv Sena led Maharashtra govt continues to oppose major infrastructure projects in the state. After blocking major parts of the Mumbai metro project by not allowing to build the metro car shed, the party is trying hard to block the India’s first bullet train project. On Saturday, Maharashtra CM and Shiv Sena Pramukh Uddhav Thackeray was seen toeing many divisive lines while attacking the Bullet Train project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. While speaking at a political rally in Mumbai, Thackeray alleged that the Bullet Train project is being brought to separate Mumbai from the rest of Maharashtra. Since the commencement of the project, Marathi regionalists including Shiv Sena, and Raj Thackeray’s MNS have opposed the project, with Uddhav Thackeray adding new fire to it.
The Maharashtra CM was talking at Shiv Sena’s political rally held in Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex on Saturday. As part of Shiv Sena’s reach out campaign, with the BMC polls are around the corner, Thackeray pulled out many punches at his rival BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis. While responding to Fadnavis’ earlier claims of liberating Mumbai from Shiv Sena rule in the upcoming elections, Uddhav Thackeray lashed out at him involving the ambitious Bullet Train Project.
Thackeray said, “The Marathi Manoos has claimed Mumbai after spilling his blood. It has not been sought as a gift. Whosoever tries to challenge Mumbai, The Maratha, Marathi and the Hindu sitting here will break them into pieces.” He further said that the place where Shiv Sena often organises its rallies will be occupied by the Bullet Train. It is notable that the bullet train project includes an underground station at BKC. The CM further alleged, “They are building the nation’s first Bullet Train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Who demanded it and who needs it? If the train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad starts tomorrow, then how many of us will be going there and how many will come here?” he asked.
Uddhav Thackeray further claimed that the Bullet Train Project is a ploy to break Mumbai. “What do they mean when they say they will make Mumbai independent? Is our country and Maharashtra under occupation?” Thackeray asked.
Opposition to the Bullet Train Project
Since the announcement of the Bullet Train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, regional parties in Maharashtra have been criticising it saying that it will bridge the gap between Gujarat and Mumbai, while it has nothing for Maharashtra to offer. The criticism stems from the historical separation of Maharshtra and Gujarat on linguistic lines from the erstwhile Bombay state precidency. While both the states claimed their stake over Mumbai, it inadvertently went with Maharashtra as its new capital after a concerted movement called the ‘Sanyukta Maharashtra movement’ took place.
With the Bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad announced, Marathi regionalists fear that the project is a means to connect Mumbai with Gujarat through the high-speed rail route. The statements from Uddhav Thackeray have risen from a similar sentiment. As of now, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor is being laid between the cities. Out of the total 508 km length of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Project, 348 km lies in Gujarat, 4 km in Dadra and Nagar Haveli and the balance 156 km is in Maharashtra. Construction work has started in Gujarat and Dadra & Nagar Haveli different phases from December 2020.
But the project has not started in Maharashtra due to non-cooperation of the state government. The Maharashtra government has refused to co-operate in land acquisition, and also refused to hand over government land for the project, which has resulted in the slow execution of the project in the state. In March this year, the tender for the BKC underground station was cancelled be because the Uddhav Thackeray government refused to handover the required land. The station will not occupy any land because it will be underground, and the project prepared by The National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL) included integrating the state govt’s proposed International Finance and Service Centre (IFSC) with the terminal, but still the state govt refused to give the land. Similarly in February, the tender for the construction of tunnels between Bandra-Kurla Complex and Shilphata was also cancelled for the same reason.
The ambitious high-speed railway network between two of the most developed cities in Western India will pass through the 508 kilometre long network through Mumbai, Thane, and Palghar in Maharashtra and Valsad, Navsari, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Kheda, and Ahmedabad in Gujarat. In the Railway Budget 2014-15, The Government of India announced to undertake the planning of high-speed rail connectivity on the Diamond Quadrilateral network connecting major metros and growth centres of the country, after the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet train project sees the light of the day.
