Thousands of rail passengers continued to travel between Chennai and Bengaluru, despite the unrest in both the States over the Cauvery water. Those headed to Bengaluru did not seem to be bothered by the violence that had hit the city, while some others were cautious.
‘Violence not solution’
However, all of them were uniformly of the opinion that violence was not a solution to the Cauvery water dispute. According to Southern Railway officials, there was a spike in the number of people boarding day trains to Bengaluru on Monday, but it was normal on Tuesday. However, in the return direction, the trains were packed beyond capacity, at least till trains entered border stations such as Jolarpettai.
“I am leaving with my family for a house warming function. We will get down at K.R. Puram and the venue is within walking distance from the station. I am confident of a safe stay in Bengaluru,” said G. Krishnaveni, a government employee. E.M.K.S. Sushmitha, a final year law student, was accompanied by her parents on the Lalbagh Express and said that now that the Supreme Court had resolved the issue, it was for the people to give up violence.
Cooks and suppliers engaged by the catering contractor of Lal Bagh Express said that compartments were jampacked, leaving very little space for them to move between the coaches when the train left Bengaluru. However, after the train reached Jolarpettai, the bulk of the crowd got down. Passengers who reached Chennai in the afternoon, said rioters targeted vehicles in the city limits, while the suburbs were relatively calm. Passengers said Bengaluru-bound passengers should alight at K.R. Puram, Bengaluru Cantonment or East stations.
