Hunger stir call in FB for new dam

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Hundreds of youth are planning to conduct an indefinite hunger strike in the capital city demanding the reconstruction of the Mullapperiyar Dam after they were inspired by a message on Facebook.

The communication posted on the I Hate Prithviraj page, which has 26,338 members, calling upon people to attend the fast, says that the date of the strike will soon be declared.

Even though serious discussions are going on, on all social networking sites, this is the first time in the state that an agitation for a social cause is going to be conducted at the street level following a missive posted on a social networking site.

Posted on November 12, at 11.09 pm by Sarath Lal, a native of Thrissur and administrator of the I Hate Prithviraj page, the communication which calls for a mass movement on the Mullaperiyar issue, has received a massive response.

Sarath Lal says that there is no need to sit in front of a computer system. ''We want to get out of our rooms to protest this age-old issue. Let's go for a massive agitation to humanity."

In response more than a hundred messages were posted in favour of the hunger strike. When Deccan Chronicle asked Sarath Lal as to how many days it would take to declare the date of the agitation via Facebook, he replied that serious discussions were going on in this regard with active members on the page. A decision could well be taken within a week, he said.

Another message posted by Sarath Lal calling upon everyone to prepare for an agitation on Monday at 1.30 pm has witnessed furious discussions between more than 50 members.

This is considered a positive signal for the agitation which is to do with replacing the 120-year-old Mullaperiyar dam, located on the borders with Tamil Nadu. It is feared that if any disaster strikes, lakhs of people in four districts (Idukki, Ernakulam, Kottayam and Alappuzha) will be wiped out completely.

M.S. Dingu, a native of Thiruvananthapuram, and an active member on the I Hate Prithviraj page told DC that this was a matter of social responsibility for the people.

“Even though the page is really for Prithviraj haters, in this issue we are seeking support from all sorts of people. It will become a massive agitation just like those held in the Arab countries,” he said hopefully. “Don't wait until an Anna Hazare comes. It's time to react…”

Sreejith Samuel, another active member on the page, hoped that the social media would help to build a robust agitation.