DYFI protests against railway privatisation

Coimbatore: Members of Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) on Wednesday staged a protest in front of the Coimbatore Junction Railway Station condemning the Centre’s move to privatise railway services.
“There are around 3 lakh job vacancies in the railways. As part of the privatisation move, the Centre will not fill 1.5 lakh vacancies. This will affect career prospects of youngsters,” DYFI district secretary K S Kanagaraj said. “We don’t know whether private firms will follow reservations and quotas in filling up the vacant posts.”
Railways is an affordable long-distance travel option for underprivileged people, the youth wing leader said. “If the public transport system is privatised, we don’t know whether it would be accessible for underprivileged people or there would be unreserved compartments.”
“Railways has acres of land across the country. After privatisation, these lands might be leased for low rates to corporates. The railway infrastructure was developed using taxpayers’ money. Privatising the sector will be against the people,” Kanagaraj said.
As many as 30 DYFI members participated in the protest that was part of a pan-India drive, he added.