Opposition gears up for demonstrations across State on Friday

While DMK president M Karunanidhi, accusing the Centre of changing its stance on the issue with an eye on the ensuing Assembly polls in Karnataka, announced a day-long fast in the Cauvery delta district of Thanjavur by his party on October 7, the four-party People’s Welfare Front (PWF) comprising the MDMK, CPI, CPI(M) and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) would stage a protest demonstration at Tiruvarur on that day condemning the Centre for betraying the interests of Tamil Nadu on the Cauvery issue. 

Karunanidhi, in a statement here said, DMK Treasurer and Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly M K Stalin would lead the fast and senior leader Duraimurugan would preside over the fast.

PWF Convenor Vaiko, in a statement, said he would personally lead the peaceful demonstration in Tiruvarur to condemn the Centre’s decision of not to form the CMB.

He said, apart from him, VCK Leader Thol Thirumavalavan, CPI State Secretary R Mutharasan, CPIM(M) State Secretary G Ramakrishnan, farmers and representatives of various farmers’ associations would participate in the demonstration.

Leaders of various political parties also flayed the Centre for going back on its promise made in the Supreme Court on constituting the CMB. 

Flaying the Centre, PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss criticised the Central government’s submission in the Supreme Court on Monday that CMB could not be set up now and that the court could not pass orders to it in this regard. 

In a statement here, he pointed out that Parliamentary consent was not necessary to create the CMB. “The Bhakra-Beas Board that manages electricity and water management in those rivers did not need Parliamentary consent or Constitutional amendment. Then why must there should be such a consent for CMB,” he asked. 

“If the Central government has faith in federal principles and care about the well-being of people of Tamil Nadu, it should take immediate steps to constitute the CMB in compliance with the orders of the Supreme Court,” he added.

CPI(M) State Secretary G Ramakrishnan, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi president M H Jawahirullah, TMC leader and former Union Minister G K Vasan, Tamizhaga Vaazhvurimai Katchi (TVK) leader T Velmurugan, Naam Tamizhar party founder Seeman and others also slammed the Centre for ignoring the interests of Tamil Nadu on the Cauvery issue, which was the lifeline for the farmers in the Cauvery delta districts of the State. 

Meanwhile, the Cauvery delta presents a grim and gloomy picture as a majority of the cultivable land in the region has been rendered fallow, owing to the inadequate inflow of Cauvery water into the State, according Tamil Nadu All Farmers’ Association convener P R Pandian.

He also flayed the Centre for its stand on CMB and said it has never bothered about the interests of Tamil Nadu farmers on the Cauvery issue. 

Meanwhile, shocked Delta farmers slammed the “utterly partisan and politically motivated” decision of the Central Government on not to form the CMB for now and accused it of siding with Karnataka in denying Tamil Nadu its due share of Cauvery waters. 

The Centre’s stand was a direct assault on the federal nature of the country

“All along, we Delta farmers were enduring a crisis of water. Now, we are heading into a crisis of justice,” General Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Cauvery Delta Farmers Welfare Association ‘Mannargudi’ S Ranganathan said.