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Even as Bengaluru area, Chamarajanagar, Mysuru City, Mandya district, and Ramangara district experienced total shutdown on Sept 29, activists in Karnataka protesting the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu say what the state needs is an official document on water sharing after the assessment of the quantity of water to be shared, especially during distress years. Though the bandh went on without any untoward incidents, the day was marked with large-scale protests, demonstrations, and sloganeering.
During the day, activists of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike and hundreds of organizations, big and small, participated in the protest action. A few of them even stormed the Kempe Gowda International Airport at Devanahalli, raising slogans against the state and central governments. They were quickly removed by the police from the precincts of the airport.
The Kannada activists who had called for the bandh termed the demands made by Tamil Nadu as unjust and said it would jeopardise the water security of the people in the Cauvery River basin, both domestic and irrigation. Karnataka was in no condition to spare any water to not just Tamil Nadu but also the industrial sector, they felt.
The Kannada activists who had called for the bandh termed the demands made by Tamil Nadu as unjust and said it would jeopardise the water security of the people in the Cauvery River basin, both domestic and irrigation. Karnataka was in no condition to spare any water to not just Tamil Nadu but also the industrial sector, they felt.
Chief of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, Narayana Gowda was vehemently critical of both the state and central governments. He said, “The state government of Karnataka is hand in glove with the central government, and both are indirectly aiding Tamil Nadu to get more water. There is an intense political overplay that involves all the stakeholding parties in Karnataka. The domestic water supply will also be affected in the coming week while the Karnataka farmers will suffer the most. They will be restricted to just one crop if the Karnataka government continues to release water to Tamil Nadu from KR Sagar dam.”
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He continued: “On October 5, some 10,000 Karnataka Rakshana Vedike activists will go to Delhi to meet the President of India and appeal to her to direct the Central government to intervene in the matter. On October 10, 1 lakh of our activists will write a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in their own blood to save the farmers of Karnataka”.
Vatal Nagaraj, a firebrand activist, arrived wearing a burkha at the town hall, so he could move incommunicado. But he was arrested and taken to a different location by the police. He said “We have no objection to release water to the Tamil Nadu if we had abundant water, but this time we do not have water for our own people, how can MK Stalin ask for more water?” he queried.
The Kannada activists also burnt effigies of Chief Minister MK Stalin and the water resources minister of Tamil Nadu.
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