Farmers, parties protest Karnataka plan to build dams

They block trains and roads in delta districts

About 3,000 farmers and workers of various political parties courted arrest as they blocked trains during the dawn-to-dusk bandh in the delta districts of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam on Saturday.

The bandh was called by the All Farmers’ Coordination Committee to protest Karnataka’s plan to build reservoirs across the Cauvery at Mekedatu.

The police picked up 1,347 persons in Thanjavur district and 1,154 in Tiruvarur. In Nagapattinam district, 357 persons were arrested. Most of the shops and commercial establishments, except essential services, remained closed.

The agitators resorted to rail roko in Thanjavur, Mannargudi, Kumbakonam, Papanasam, Tiruvarur and Nidamangalam.

MDMK general secretary Vaiko led the protest at Thanjavur Junction and courted arrest, along with hundreds of workers of various parties. The protesters pulled the emergency chain of the Nagore-Tiruchi Passenger at Thanjavur and climbed the locomotive to halt the train for 30 minute.

Organisations that participated in the protest included the DMDK, the Congress, the IJK, the Naam Tamizhar Katchi, the People’s Art and Literary Association, the Tamilaga Vivasyigal Sangam and the Thanjavur District Cauvery Farmers’ Protection Sangam.

Addressing the protesters, Mr. Vaiko condemned the “sectarian” Karnataka government for continuously flouting all court directives on the sharing of Cauvery waters. He called upon the Centre to either nationalise rivers or face the possibility of “creating inter-nation rivers,” in an oblique reference to Tamil Nadu’s secession, a theory he had harped on at his interaction with the media a day earlier.

At Kumbakonam, supporters of the rebel Congress leader, G.K. Vasan participated in the protest, and at Pattukkottai over 500 Congress workers and farmers, led by the rebel Congress MLA, N.R. Rangarajan, staged a demonstration in front of the post office. Private buses went off the road in the district, while TNSTC buses plied as usual.In Tiruvarur district, farmers staged a road roko at Kottur village, resulting in a tussle between them and the police who tried to remove them. In all, road rokos were staged in more than 15 places.

In Nagapattinam, farmers tried to block roads at Nagapattinam, Kilvelur, Sirkazhi, Alangudi near Thalaignayiru and Thirumarugal and block trains at Nagapattinam, Kilvelur and Mayiladuthurai. Congress district president P.V. Rajendaran led the agitation at Nagapattinam railway station, general secretary of Cauvery Farmers’ Protection Association, Cauvery V. Dhanabalan at Kilvelur and general secretary of Thanjavur, Thiruvarur and Nagapattinam Farmers’ Federation Arupathi Kalyanam at Mayiladuthurai.

Members of the Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangangalin Peravai observed a token fast in front of the Mayiladuthurai municipality in support of the farmers.