Members of the Desiya-Thennindia Nadigal Innaippu Vivasayigal Sangam buried themselves up to their necks in the Cauvery river bed in Tiruchi on Friday morning to demand that Karnataka release Tamil Nadu’s due share of water.
The agitators buried themselves up to their necks in sand for a brief period before they were taken away by the police.
The brief but symbolic protest was meant to highlight the plight of Tamil Nadu farmers who could not take up samba cultivation owing to the intransigence of the Karnataka government and the “inaction” of the Union government, P. Ayyakannu, president of the organisation said.
Though the protestors insisted that they were opposing only the Karnataka and Central governments, and not the Tamil Nadu government, police detained 17 persons who were later taken to a marriage hall in Srirangam, near Tiruchi.
Mr. Ayyakannu alleged that the bandh in Karnataka was held with the tacit support of the State government and the Tamil Nadu government should allow them to stage the protest to make their voices heard by the Centre and the Karnataka government.
“The recent directive of the Supreme Court to Karnataka to release 15,000 cusecs of water a day for 10 days to Tamil Nadu is totally inadequate,” he maintained.
The Centre should immediately constitute the Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Water Regulatory Authority to ensure the implementation of the final award of the Cauvery Tribunal, he said.
