Tamil Nadu farmers give bandh call on September 16

Chennai: Farmer bodies in the state announced a bandh on September 16 in delta districts, besides picketing before the Central government offices. The decision was taken after a meeting of farmers outfits belonging to Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts. The farmers have formed a body called ‘Cauvery Struggle Committee’, which will jointly take part in the September 16 protests that will include road blockade agitations.

The president of the co-ordination committee of Thamizhaga All Farmers Associations P.R. Pandian said the farmers had to conduct agitations every year to get release of water from Cauvery and this causes economic losses as the agricultural works are affected. Tamil Nadu had to move the Supreme Court to get water from Cauvery, he said.

Tamil Nadu government should exert pressure on the Centre to get more water and the Centre should break its silence and form the Cauvery Management Board and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee, he said.

Already several farmers associations and political parties had gathered under the Cauvery Rights Retrieval Committee and holding protests for Cauvery water.  It also took part in the discussions and decided to take part in the bandh on September 16.

Its co-ordinator P. Maniarasan said farmers would picket before central government offices and block roads on that day. The committee would conduct campaign throughout the districts to mobilise people's support for the agitations.

He felt that Karnataka's modification petition would not reverse the Supreme Court verdict ordering release of water to Tamil Nadu. If there is any reduction in the quantum of water to be released to Tamil Nadu , the farmers would resort to immediate agitations. He also stressed that Tamils in Karnataka should be protected and the farmers in Tamil Nadu would hold protests for their safety

Though, the final verdict of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal was delivered in 2007, it was notified by the centre after six years in 2013, that too after TN government got an order from the SC to gazette the verdict. But, the Centre had not constituted the Cauvery Management Board and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee, the mechanism required to implement the tribunal's verdict.

The SC had formed a supervisory committee as an interim arrangement following a suggestion from Karnataka government.