A bandh to protest against the release of Cauvery waters to Tamil Nadu has brought Karnataka to a standstill on Friday
The recent 'revelation' by TN fishers freed by Sri Lanka after they had paid up Lankan rupees 50,000 each in fines, that their hair was tonsured in prison and they were forced to remove their garments other than the underpants, and were also made to clean toilets, as if with vengeance, has touched a raw nerve this time, just as another issue or issues had done it ahead of the Jallikattu protests, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
He expressed hope there would be smooth sharing of Cauvery river water with Tamil Nadu in view of prospects of a good monsoon.
'The Cauvery is not dependable as Karnataka will never consider our needs.'
The bandh evoked near-total response in the Cauvery belt, particularly in the volatile districts of Mandya, Mysore and Chamarajnagar, but the overall situation remained calm.
In anticipation of the award, police remained on alert in Bangalore, Mysore and Mandya districts in the Cauvery belt, to thwart any trouble.
Karnataka has stopped releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu since Sunday evening, Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar told the assembly on Monday.Shettar said the government had filed a review petition in the Supreme Court on its recent directive and challenged the Cauvery Monitoring Committee order.
CM Siddaramaiah has called legislature session on September 23 to discuss the SC's direction.
The Cauvery Supervisory Committee on Wednesday rejected Tamil Nadu's demand for its share of water saying it was not feasible, given the deficit in inflows and storage level in reservoirs in Karnataka.
Tamil Nadu doesn't need water from Cauvery River as it is already receiving excess water from Karnataka due to heavy north-east rains. This is what the Karnataka government is set to argue when it responds to the Tamil Nadu government's contempt plea filed over the Cauvery River water sharing issue in the Supreme Court.
Protests over the Cauvery water dispute gained momentum on Friday with Kannada outfits planning several high-voltage rallies in Bengaluru even as the state government briefed a central team on the water storage levels in reservoirs.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Friday said her government had overcome 'various hurdles' to secure 66 tmcft of Cauvery water as she asked partymen to help secure all 40 seats in the next Lok Sabha polls to ensure the state has a greater say at national level.
The Congress leadership should have immediately called on the Karnataka chief minister to implement the Supreme Court order and crack down on the violence, says R Rajagopalan.
Karnataka and Tamil Nadu on Monday sparred at the meeting of Cauvery supervisory committee in New Delhi over the latter's share of the Cauvery water.
Rail and road blockade, demonstrations, and impromptu rallies by the Opposition marked the shutdown in the state affecting normal life to some extent.
It is necessary that distress is shared equitably so that no specific region suffers excessively, " Dr Singh said.
A Special Court in Bengaluru on Wednesday ordered a Lokayukta police probe against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case.
Siddaramaiah added that all efforts would be made to provide drinking water to Bengaluru and other places as also for crops.
Thursday's Opposition-sponsored bandh did not bring Tamil Nadu to a standstill.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to give an urgent hearing to a plea of the Tamil Nadu government for setting up the Cauvery management board for implementation of the Cauvery water disputes tribunal award, saying there is "no urgency" for it.
Verifiable 'distress-sharing' of available water may still be the way out of the Cauvery water row, says N Sathiya Moorthy.
The Centre is playing politics and is more worried about its poll prospects in Karnataka than following the apex court order, says lawyers representing Tamil Nadu.
Amid criticism and protests against the government over allegations that Cauvery water was being released from Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) dam to Tamil Nadu, he clarified that the discharge was meant for Bengaluru, and not for the neighbouring state.
The AIADMK's Rajya Sabha members will join the DMK-led all-party delegation that will meet the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, on June 8 to demand Cauvery water from Karnataka.
Inducted into the government only a few months ago, he said he would announce his future plans on joining the ongoing Cauvery agitation in a day or two.
The award fails on some crucial tests of equity, efficiency, technology and science, says water expert Himanshu Thakkar.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee on Thursday urged the state government not to release Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu, as mandated by the Supreme Court, though it would amount to contempt of its order.
In the final award, Tamil Nadu will get 217 tmc ft of water -- 192 tmc ft from Biligundulu and 25 tmc ft for envrionmental purposes between Biligundulu and Mettur.
The opposition Congress and Janata Dal Secular on Tuesday made a forceful plea in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly against notification of the 2007 Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award, underlining that the move would amount to grave injustice to the State's interests.
The water stoppage to Tamil Nadu came after Karnataka said it will file a review petition on Tuesday before Cauvery River Authority headed by the Prime Minister who made known his position to Congress and BJP delegations which met him separately seeking review of CRA's September 19 directive.
Karnataka on Thursday night began releasing Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu from the Krishna Raja Sagar Reservoir as per a Supreme Court directive.
Leading an agitation at the Egmore Railway station in Chennai, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam General Secretary Vaiko and VCK Chief Thol Thirumavalavan, along with several workers including those from the Left parties, blocked an express train.
The Tamil Nadu government has approached the Supreme Court over the Cauvery river water dispute and sought 10 TMC water immediately from Karnataka. "Karnataka has received 26 TMC water in the past ten days and our proportionate share of 10 TMC should be released immediately," says the petition.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Cauvery Monitoring Committee to examine and make recommendations on all issues likely to be raised by Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over the sharing of water of river Cauvery at the panel's scheduled meeting on Wednesday.
Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar on Wednesday criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the September 19 order of the Cauvery River Authority, headed by the PM, on release of water to Tamil Nadu, and said it had no basis and was an "injustice" to the state.
There are protests galore in Karnataka over the Cauvery water release issue and there appears to be no solution in sight with farmers only intensifying their protest with each passing day.
Even as Karnataka continues to release water to Tamil Nadu as per the directive of the Cauvery River Waters Authority, all the members of Legislative Assembly from the Janata Dal-Secular have tendered their resignations against this move by the Karnataka government.
"Despite severe hardships faced by the government of Karnataka, the state will release water as directed by the Supreme Court," Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said.
In good news for farmers of Cauvery delta region in Tamil Nadu facing a grim crop situation due to drought like condition, Karnataka has released over 12,000 cusecs of water into the inter-state river with the Kabini dam surplusing following heavy rains in its catchment areas.
