Police picked up more than 520 members of the Cauvery Rights Retrieval Forum and its support organisations when they staged rail rokos in various parts of Thanjavur and Tiruvarur districts on Monday to highlight their charter of demands, including immediate constitution of the Cauvery Management Board and scrapping of the Central draft proposal to establish a singular tribunal to hear and dispose of all inter-state water disputes.
While more than 400 cadres were arrested in Thanjavur district, another 116 were rounded up in Tiruvarur district as part of the protest.
In Thanjavur district, Forum founder P. Maniyarasan led the stir near Alakkudi station where he and others, including IJK district president Xavier Simione Raj, Tamil Desiya Periyakkam Murugaiiyan, Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam leader Pulavar Thirunavukkarasu stopped the Tiruchi-Thanjavur Passenger for some time before the police intervened and cleared them.
At Ayanapuram station, Tamizhar Desiya Munnani leader Ayanapuram Murugesan led the protest in which cine director Gauthaman and others blocked the Mayiladuthurai-Tiruchi passenger service. Protesters also detained the Ernakulam-Karaikal Express just outside the Thanjavur Junction, the Mayiladuthurai-Tirunelveli Passenger at Tiruvidaimarudur.
In Kumbakonam region of Thanjavur district, police picked up 87 persons when they staged rail roko in various spots. At Tiruvidaimarudur, 40 persons were picked up when they staged a rail roko. At Swamimalai around 30 persons were arrested while at Pandaravadai, police rounded up 17 persons for attempting to stage rail roko. Elsewhere at Chitrakudi, Kudikadu and Ammapettai stations in Thanjavur district, protesters attempted to block trains unsuccessfully.
In Tiruvarur district, police stopped and arrested 40 protesters who attempted to stage a rail roko at Tiruvarur station while at Nidamangalam station, the protesters were able to block the Ernakulam-Karaikal Express before police arrested 65 persons.
The demands included immediate constitution of the Cauvery Management Board, withdrawal of the draft bill to constitute singular tribunal to hear and dispose of inter-state water disputes, prevent Karnataka from going ahead with Mekedatu reservoir, order Karnataka to abide by Supreme Court order and release water, waiver of all loans by all sections of farmers, sanction ₹25,000 per acre to all drought affected farmers as compensation, grant of ₹15,000 to each of the affected farm workers families and declare a solatium of ₹15 lakh to the families of the farmers who died of shock or committed suicide due to agrarian crisis.
