Just after the Supreme Court’s verdict on Monday ordering Karnataka to release 12,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu till September 20, protests over sharing Cauvery water escalated and turned violent with incidents of attacks on buses, trucks and hotels, business establishments reported in both the States, sparking fresh tensions.
One protester was killed and another injured in police firing in Bengaluru. The Centre rushed ten companies comprising 1,000 personnel of the special anti-riot paramilitary force Rapid Action Force (RAF) to Karnataka to tackle the violent situation.
The protests turned violent in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mandya, Hassan, Chamarajanagara districts and other parts of Karnataka. Similarly, in TN, groups of unidentified people unleashed attacks on business establishments owned by people from Karnataka.
While in Chennai, Hotel New Woodlands, a prominent eating place in the city owned by Kannadigas on the main Dr Radhakrishnan Road was vandalised by a group of Tamils, elsewhere in TN many vehicles, especially trucks and buses with Karnataka registration numbers were attacked by farmers’ groups as well as Tamil nationalists. Security has been beefed up all over the State and branches of Karnataka Bank have been provided police protection round-the-clock.
Policemen have been posted in front of residences of eminent personalities like film star Rajinikanth. Bus and lorry services between TN and Karnataka remained suspended.
Reports from the Kerala-TN border also warn of a possibility of a breakdown in law and order as farmers in TN have launched a series of agitations against Kerala for the latter’s move to construct a dam across the Siruvani River.
Ties between Andhra Pradesh and TN too are not normal as the AP Government is constructing a check dam across Palar River which is expected to cut off water supply to three districts of TN.
Meanwhile, the Cauvery Supervisory Committee that met in New Delhi failed to arrive at a decision on quantum of water to be released to TN and other States pursuant to the SC’s order and decided to meet again on September 19.
Union Water Resources Secretary Shashi Shekhar, who chaired the meeting, said the committee could not arrived at a decision for the want of “adequate” information.
He said the States concerned could not produce adequate information relating to withdrawal of water, its utilisation, allegations of withdrawal when it was not permitted, variation in rainfall and its impact on the actual run-off over a period spanning 29 years.
Amid escalating tension in Karnataka, the Centre assured all assistance to the State to maintain law and order and ensure peace.
“I am in touch with the Chief Secretary of Karnataka and whatever help is required will be provided,” Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi told reporters here.
Meanwhile, as news of the attacks in TN spread to Karnataka thanks to social media and videos of a Tamilian being attacked for his remarks on the Cauvery water row went viral on Facebook, Bengaluru bore the brunt of the retaliatory violence.
Miscreants resorted to arson and stone pelting in the city and elsewhere targeting properties owned by Tamil speaking people and 12 vehicles were torched.
A woman television journalist and her cameraman were also assaulted for covering the violence.
“My colleague, Rohini Swamy, and myself, we both were roughed up and beaten by those protesting against Supreme Court direction to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu,” India Today cameraman Y Madhu said.
The RAF resorted to baton-charge at various places where violence was witnessed and authorities clamped Section 144 in Bengaluru as a measure to contain violence.
In Mandya, G Madegowda, president of Cauvery Rythara Hitha Rakshana Samithee, that is spearheading the agitation said, “The Supreme Court has not given us justice. We cannot expect justice from the court. The only option to get justice is to intensify the agitation.”
Meanwhile, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara has requested pro-Kannada activists and farmers associations to maintain peace.
Parameshwara said police forces had been deployed in areas where Tamils live in large numbers in Bengaluru and elsewhere in Karnataka.
He said, “Our appeal is if you are protesting, please protest peacefully. We know that injustice has been done to Karnataka. We have deployed sufficient amount of police force. We have got support from the Centre also.”
He also said that 10 companies of the CRPF and the RAF have been sent. “We have also requested for 10 more companies from the Centre”.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has called an emergency Cabinet meeting on Tuesday to discuss the Cauvery issue.
Reacting to the violence in the two States, Siddaramaiah has written to his counterpart J Jayalalithaa seeking protection for Kannadigas in TN. He also assured Jayalalithaa that Tamilians in Karnataka were being ensured appropriate protection.
“We have taken utmost precaution to ensure the safety and security of all citizens, particularly Tamil speaking people in the State. You would agree that the incidents of violence against Kannada speaking people that are being reported from Tamil Nadu would incite passions threatening peace in our State, which all of us should prevent,” read Siddaramaiah’s letter to Jayalalithaa.
According to Government sources the Chief Minister has asked the DG & IG Om Prakash and Chief Secretary Aravind Jadhav to keep in constant touch with their counterparts in TN to ensure safety of residents of both the States.
Bengaluru Police detained several pro-Kannada activists for arson and violence. There were also reports of vehicles being set on fire in Mysuru.
Protests turned violent in Pandavapura as protestors damaged six shops belongs to Tamilians besides set fire to a TN-registered lorry. The protesters pelted stones on the police who resorted to lathi charge to disperse them. The agitation continued in Mandya city and Bengaluru-Mysuru State highway was blocked at several places.
The house of retired Judge Justice Shivppa in Pandavapura village was attacked. Justice Shivappa had served as a Judge in TN.
Karnataka’s border with TN along Chamarajanagar district has been sealed in the wake of fresh disturbances reported in the Cauvery basin districts.
Intelligence officials in TN are worried over the possibilities of the agitation exceeding all limits. “We had pointed out that secessionists like P Nedumaran and Francis Seeman (Naam Tamilar) are trying to hijack the leadership of the agitation,” said a senior official of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The SC’s directive to Karnataka has not cooled the tempers of farmers in Cauvery Delta. “Tamil Nadu has become an island without water. The SC directive is in no way going to help the farmers. The only option available in front of the Centre is to nationalise all the rivers in the country. We should have a National Water Bank on the lines of Reserve Bank of India,” said G Ajeethan, technical advisor, Consortium of Indian Farmers association.