The Hindu : Farmers threaten to `take over' reservoirs

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 06, 2002

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Farmers threaten to `take over' reservoirs

By R. Krishna Kumar

MANDYA SEPT. 5. Angry farmers on Thursday threatened to "take over" the four major reservoirs in the Cauvery basin in Karnataka if the State Government continued to release water to Tamil Nadu.

The farmers said that the Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, should defy the Supreme Court and face contempt charges rather than "staying in power by sacrificing their interests". They threatened to withhold the payment of taxes and water and electricity charges and start a non-cooperation movement till "justice was secured".

The Mandya Jilla Raitha Hitarakshana Samithi, which met here on Thursday, passed a resolution to this effect and spelt out its action plan to "protect the interests of farmers". The Samithi leaders said they would lay siege to the Krishna Raja Sagar and "take over" the dam to regulate the flow of water in the canals.

A section of farmers wanted to shift the focus of action to H.D. Kote in the initial phase of their struggle and "lay siege" to the Kabini Dam to "prevent" the release of water. Although there were no untoward incidents today, the authorities stepped up security as frayed tempers and tension was palpable among farmers in the Mandya, Mysore and Chamarajanagar districts.

The former MP, G. Madegowda, the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha leader, K.S. Puttanaiah, and other elected representatives from Mandya met at the Inspection Bungalow and discussed the Supreme Court directive.

In a resolution, they castigated the State Government for buckling under pressure from the Centre and Tamil Nadu and demanded that Karnataka reject the interim order of the Cauvery River Authority to release 205 tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) of water every year. Adopting a belligerent stance, the leaders said, "Not a drop of water will be released to Tamil Nadu." The struggle would continue till the State made such an assurance, they added.

After the meeting, Mr. Madegowda told presspersons that the State had released water to Tamil Nadu on humanitarian grounds in the past. Construing that as a precedent, pressure was brought on Karnataka and the Centre by Tamil Nadu, which also sought the Supreme Court's intervention. This attitude was objectionable and leaders cutting across party lines had condemned it.

Mandya bandh

Mr. Madegowda said `Cauvery Action Committees' would be constituted at taluk levels to extend the struggle to all parts of Mysore, Chamarajanagar, Bangalore, and Tumkur districts. A relay hunger strike would also be started. A bandh would be observed in Mandya district on Friday. `Rail roko' would also be undertaken. The belligerence of farmers came to the fore when a group sought the resignation of all MLAs and MLCs. Although Mr. Madegowda and his supporters tried to assuage their feelings, they expressed apprehension that the elected representatives would "escape" to Bangalore leaving them in the lurch. They "applauded" Mr. Krishna's decision to waive interest on farm loans.

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