The Hindu : `Political leaders should keep off row'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Oct 10, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

`Political leaders should keep off row'

By Our Staff Correspondent

TUMKUR OCT. 9. The Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) has taken exception to the Supreme Court "unnecessarily meddling with the Cauvery water issue".

Addressing members of the sangha and those of Hasiru Sene at Tiptur in Tumkur District on Wednesday, the KRRS President, M.D.Nanjundaswamy, said that the Cauvery dispute had been referred to a tribunal and there was also an authority headed by the Prime Minister. The tribunal had passed an interim order and the authority had been supervising its implementation. The authority was being assisted by the monitoring committee. In the light of this, there was no need for the Supreme Court to deal with complaints (from any aggrieved party) on the issue on a day-to-day basis. Entertainment of such complaints by the court, and its directives, had caused turmoil in the Cauvery Basin in Karnataka and in Tamil Nadu, he said.

Accusing successive prime ministers and chief ministers of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu of deliberately keeping the Cauvery dispute alive for political considerations, Prof. Nanjundaswamy said political leaders should keep off the dispute and allow farmers of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to settle the issue amicably.

The KRRS had made an attempt in this direction, and a preliminary meeting of farmers of the two States would be held after October 26, he said.

However, Prof. Nanjundaswamy criticised the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, for often raking up the Cauvery issue, and said that according to a survey, an estimated 300 tmcft. to 400 tmcft. of water flowed into the sea from Tamil Nadu every year. Farmers of that State could have been benefited if she had taken steps to divert the water instead of clamouring for Cauvery waters from Karnataka.

Ashok, actor, who said that he had been maintaining close contact with farmers since 1974, alleged that no government had helped them. The governments only helped traders and industrialists who gave funds to political parties, he charged.

Kodihalli Chandrashekar, General Secretary, KRRS, spoke. B.S.Devaraj, President, Tumkur District unit of the KRRS, presided over the meet.

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