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Karnataka farmers form
'suicide squads'

Farmers have formed suicide squads to thwart any attempt by the Karnataka government to release water to Tamil Nadu despite Chief Minister S M Krishna indicating that he would keep their interest above all else.

'We are ready to die for the cause of Karnataka. One farmer has already given up his life for the cause and we have thousands to follow his example,' is the refrain among them. Volunteers are being sought from each village, their leaders claimed.

The squads would maintain a day-and-night vigil over the dams in the state and commit suicide if any water was released, they warned.

The farmers' representatives, who had attended an all-party meeting called by Chief Minister S M Krishna in New Delhi, have returned to Mandya and briefed other farmers of the decisions taken at the meeting.

Karnataka has not been releasing water to Tamil Nadu after a farmer committed suicide protesting against the move.

On Monday, the Supreme Court is likely to take up a contempt petition filed by Tamil Nadu against Karnataka for its failure to abide by the apex court's order to release water.

Also, the Cauvery River Monitoring Committee, headed by A K Goswami, secretary in the Union Water Resources Ministry, is likely to visit Karnataka on Monday to verify the water levels in the state's reservoirs and the condition of the standing crops in the state.

The committee, which would include chief secretaries of the two states, will submit a report to the prime minister in three days, official sources in Bangalore have said.

On Sunday, farmers continued with their protest marches and road blocking agitation in parts of Mandya and Mysore districts. The police resorted to a lathicharge to disperse farmers after a protest march in Mandya turned violent.

In Mysore, Karnataka writers and poets had organised demonstrations demanding justice and protection for the Karnataka farmers. Some writers demanded a National Water Policy to prevent recurrence of such inter-state disputes.

Cauvery Water Dispute: The Complete Coverage

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