The Tamil Nadu Farmers Joint Action Council, an umbrella organisation of various farmers’ organisations from the State, has called for a fast in Chennai on April 12 to press for the formation of the Cauvery Management Board.
“It will be a massive protest at Chepauk with representatives of all farmers associations of the state participating,” said D.Gurusamy, its coordinator, after a meeting of the council convened here on Monday to discuss the Supreme Court verdict on the Cauvery water sharing issue.
The meeting, through a resolution, decided to support the bandh called by farmers and traders organisations on Tuesday and the DMK on April 5; and the agitations called by the Tamil Maanila Congress and Pattali Makkal Katchi on the same issue on April 6 and 11, respectively.
The council maintained that the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, in its final award, clearly said that its order on sharing of the river water would be rendered infructuous without the Cauvery Management Board and Cauvery Water Regulatory Authority.
“The Supreme Court has erred legally in failing to take this important aspect into account while examining the tribunal’s award,” a resolution adopted at the meeting observed.
The directive to the Centre to come up with a “scheme” created uncertainty and all sections should approach the issue very carefully.
Unfortunately, political parties failed to look upon it as an issue concerning the livelihood of farmers and the food safety of Tamil Nadu. Instead, the parties sought to derive political mileage, the council said and called upon all political parties to come together and join farmers’ organisations to make it a people’s struggle for Cauvery rights.
The meeting, which was attended by representatives of several farmers organisations from across the State, also called upon the State government to enable small and marginal farmers to leverage technology so as to make farming a profitable venture.
COMMents
SHARE