Activists from Karnataka keep on crossing over to Hogenakkal, the locals tell us. These activists put up posters claiming this side belongs to them, and activists from Tamil Nadu tear up these posters and shout slogans, they add.
However, the locals are quick to point out that this happens only once in five years, around election time. Once the elections are over, the issue is conveniently forgotten. One of the locals shows us the mark made on a rock by Kannada activists, claiming that the land till there belongs to Karnataka.
The 300 odd boatmen in Hogenakkal, who come under the purview of the Tamil Nadu government, say that if the land goes to Karnataka, they would have to pay licence fee of Rs one lakh per year to the Karnataka Forest Department. Presently, the money they earn by ferrying visitors goes to the Hogenakkal panchayat, and these funds are used for the welfare of their village.
Image: The boatmen here hail from both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Also read: What the Cauvery dispute is about
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