Night traffic ban: Activists end relay fast after assurance by

Eleven days after they started a relay fast against the night traffic ban on the National Highway passing through Bandipur Tiger Reserve,activists of DYFI,Youth Congress and Youth league on Sunday ended their stir on Sunday after state ministers assured full support to their cause.

Transport Minister A K Saseendran and Excise minister T P Ramakrishnan met representatives of the protest council at the venue and assured them of all support from the government, including legal help.

The ministers also said that they would raise the issue in the Legislative Assembly.

"The state government is with you, the people of Wayanad, who are fighting for a just cause," Saseendran said while addressing the protesters.

The Centre had on Tuesday assured Kerala that a committee would be set up to study the night traffic ban on the national highway passing through Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka,as thousands of students took out a rally in Wayanad, demanding lifting the curb.

Four youths, belonging to various political parties, were on a relay fast against the restriction.

The protestors, including school and college students and farmers, had taken out marches at Sultan Bathery in Wayanad, expressing solidarity with the plea of locals to lift the ban on night traffic through the National Highway, running through Bandipur Tiger sanctuary in neighbouring Karnataka.

The movement of traffic through the tiger reserve is banned from 9 PM to 6 AM to reduce disturbance to wildlife.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had suggested construction of an elevated stretch through the core critical tiger habitat.

Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi had visited the protest venue on October 4 and expressed solidarity with the youth.

"They represent the suffering of the people here. All political parties are united as far as the night travel ban issue is concerned.

There is no political difference on this," Gandhi had said.