Bengaluru
oi-Prakash KL
Pro-Kannada groups and farmers’ groups have called for a statewide bandh in Karnataka on August 13, protesting the order of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) and Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) directing the state to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.
Speaking after meeting of various Kannada organisations at a private hotel in Bengaluru on Friday, senior Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj announced that the bandh will be observed across Karnataka from 6 am to 6 pm on Thursday.
Pro-Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj has initiated a call for a Karnataka Bandh, a state-wide shutdown, scheduled for August 13, in protest against the decision to release Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu.
“I plead with my both hands to everyone in the state to extend their support to the bandh. This is a fight for the water problems faced by the people of Karnataka. All farmers should participate in this struggle,” he said.
He appealed to all Kannada outfits, women’s organisations, transport unions, auto drivers and farmers across the state to extend their support to the bandh.
Vatal Nagaraj pointed to the situation at the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) reservoir and cited Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s reported remarks that the available water was sufficient only for drinking purposes. Nagaraj said this showed that Karnataka itself was facing a serious shortage.
The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee had earlier recommended the release of water to Tamil Nadu. Nagaraj referred to a direction to release 3,500 cusecs of water per day, claiming that this would amount to around four to four-and-a-half TMC of water.
“Today, there is no water in Karnataka. There is no question of releasing water to Tamil Nadu,” Nagaraj said.
Nagaraj also questioned the proposed meeting between the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu chief ministers to discuss the Cauvery dispute.
He said there was an established procedure of approaching the Supreme Court after discussions at the water management level and questioned why the two chief ministers should arrive at a separate understanding on sharing water.
Nagaraj said he would welcome such a meeting if Tamil Nadu agreed that Karnataka should not release water because the state itself was facing a shortage.
“If they decide that Karnataka does not have to release water because we are currently facing difficulties, we would be happy,” he said.
However, he questioned whether Tamil Nadu would actually agree to such a proposal. Nagaraj also criticised the Karnataka government’s meeting with opposition parties over the Cauvery issue.
He argued that the meeting should have included Kannada organisations, farmers’ groups, irrigation experts and other organisations involved in the state’s water-related movements.
According to Nagaraj, restricting the meeting to BJP, Congress and JD(S) leaders did not make it a genuine meeting of all opposition forces.
He said farmers from Mandya and representatives from north Karnataka, as well as those involved in the Mahadayi and other water-related movements, should have been invited.
Nagaraj suggested that if the government did not want to call such a broader meeting, it should instead have convened an emergency session of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly to discuss the issue in detail.
Warning over Tamil Nadu CM’s Bengaluru visit
Nagaraj also issued a warning over Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay’s proposed visit to Bengaluru.
He said he respected Vijay as a person but insisted that the Tamil Nadu chief minister should come to Karnataka only after taking a decision in Tamil Nadu not to seek Cauvery water from Karnataka under the present circumstances.
“If he comes after deciding in Tamil Nadu that they do not need water from Karnataka, we will welcome him with affection,” Nagaraj said.
However, he warned that Kannada organisations would lay siege to Kempegowda International Airport if Vijay arrived in Bengaluru without such a decision.
Nagaraj said the organisations were prepared to face arrest and jail in connection with the protest.
Opposes Cauvery authority’s decision
Nagaraj said Kannada organisations would strongly oppose the Cauvery water management authorities’ decision and reiterated that Karnataka should not release water to Tamil Nadu when the state itself was facing a shortage.
He also raised several other demands concerning Karnataka, including the implementation of the Mekedatu project and the Mahadayi-Kalasa Banduri project, development of north and Kalyana Karnataka, raising the height of the Almatti reservoir and greater employment opportunities for Kannadigas.
He further demanded greater support for Kannada-medium schools, protection of government schools from privatisation, filling vacant posts in Kannada schools and greater use of Kannada in educational examinations.
