The Cauvery water dispute has been a matter of contention for several decades now. Despite the reduced water share for Tamil Nadu after Supreme Court’s decision on February 16, farmers here have accepted the move gracefully. However, the farmers now only demand the implementation of Supreme Court’s directive to constitute the Cauvery water Management Board (CMB).
On Thursday, Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan urged the prime minister to take a decision on the formation of the board.
“My appeal to the prime minister is, please sir, you have the authority to create this CMB and you must do it. Please,” said Kamal. He added that the two states want water and that the issue should not be made into a political issue for electoral gains.
Kamal’s fellow actor and new entrant to Tamil Nadu politics, Rajinikanth said, “On the Cauvery issue, setting up of CMB will be the only acceptable and just solution for us. I sincerely hope justice will prevail.”
On the other hand, several groups and other artists have come forward to slam the NDA-led government for its treatment of the Cauvery issue.
WE WILL FIGHT FOR CAUVERY
“Cauvery is also a woman and she is our right, we will fight for her,” said Kovan a singer from the delta region of Trichy in his controversial recent song criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government
“This is our right; we have been waiting for this for several years. Every year Karnataka will deny us water by giving some reason or the other. A management board will ensure we get our rightful share. The state and central government should provide us this,” said Aiyakkana, farmers’ leader from the delta region of Trichy.
His group had protested in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar last year. Farmers from Tamil Nadu are continuing their protest in Delhi with no one really giving them any attention. Their demand is the same as last year – justice and water from Cauvery and CMB.
Almost a month after the decision of the Supreme Court on March 16, the Tamil Nadu government had appealed to the Centre to form the CMB and a Cauvery Water Monitoring Committee. But with the six weeks time that was allotted to the Centre ending on March 29, the state government which has been taking an easy approach putting their complete faith on the Centre is facing the flak in the state.
POLITICAL PARTIES STAGE PROTESTS
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palanisamy on March 28 said, “The Centre should realise the aspirations of the people of Tamil Nadu and the delta farmers.” The DMK and other Opposition parties along with the farmers have been staging continuous protest for the management board formation.
The EPS government had called for a meeting with senior ministers and bureaucrats at the Tamil Nadu Secretariat to decide on the next course of action. The Tamil Nadu government has decided further to move a contempt plea in the Supreme Court with no positive indication coming its way from the Centre.
Meanwhile, the DMK will hold a meeting on Friday at 10 am to decide the next course of action in the Cauvery issue as they feel governments both at the state and Centre have disappointed the people of Tamil Nadu. In fact the accusation that the state government is just a shadow government has now intensified. (India today)
