If the AIADMK is plagued by internal strife between three factions for the control of the party, the Opposition DMK too is not in a better position. Though the intra party squabbles in the DMK has been somehow suppressed for the time being, the party stands isolated over the issue of inter linking of rivers, a topic which is important for the survival of Tamil Nadu. The Congress and the CPI(M) stand diametrically opposite to the stance of the DMK in this issue.
On Tuesday, MK Stalin, working president of the DMK, sent a missive to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to fast track the project to inter link the major rivers in the country. Tamil Nadu, which has no major rivers originating in the State is hoping that the inter linking of major rivers in the country would help it get the surplus and flood waters from rivers in other States.
“The project to inter link the major rivers in the country should be fast tracked as it alone would solve several inter-state water disputes and result in harmonious relations etween neighbouring States,” Stalin said in his letter to the Prime Minister.
Stalin’s letter to the Prime Minister pleading for fast tracking the inter linking of rivers project is in stark contrast to the stance of the DMK’s new found allies, the CPI(M). The CPI(M) along with the DMK and the CPI had brought 258 amendments against the 2014 June address to both Houses of Parliament by President Pranab Mukherjee.
The President in his inaugural address to both the Houses of Parliament in 2014 had said that there was a need for seriously considering all options including linking of rivers for ensuring optimal use of our water resources to prevent the recurrence of floods and drought.
But the amendment introduced by the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, which included the CPI(M), the CPI, the Congress and the DMK said “the ideal of inter linking of rivers is against the federal principle of the country as water is a state subject”. The BJP does not have majority in the Upper House and dependent on friendly parties to get any legislation passed.
Tamil Nadu is facing one of the worst water shortages of the recent history. The resultant crop failures has led some farmers to resort to the extreme measure of committing suicide. Managements of gated communities in various localities in Chennai have issued “Red Alert” notices to residents alerting them about “ the full blown crisis” in water availability.
This is the first time the DMK leader is sounding the Prime Minister about the need to inter link the rivers and to fast track the project. But Tamil Nadu BJP chief Tamilissai Sounderarajan came down heavily on the DMK and its leader Stalin for “double standard and sheer hypocricy”.
“While the DMK was the crucial supporter of the UPA Government for almost ten years, it did nothing to make the Manmohan Singh Government to initiate the project to inter link the rivers. The project to inter link the major rivers in the country was initiated by the NDA Government led by Atal Bihari Vajpyee which ruled the Centre from 1998 to 2004,” pointed out Sounderarajan.
She said that though the DMK had controlling stakes in the UPA Governments 1 and 2, the party did noting to force the Manmohan Singh-led Government to speed up the project. “The Task Force headed by Suresh Prabhu appointed duing the tenure of Vajpayee had prepared a detailed project for inter linking the Inian rivers. But it remained as such because the UPA Government was against the project,” said Sounderarajan.
She said Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has termed the project to inter link the rivers as ecological and environmental disasters. “Since then no Congress leaders dared to speak about the project. The DMK was more interested in getting cash rich ministries at the Centre than to inter link the rivers,” she pointed out.