The Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) will hold a demonstration in Delhi as part of its struggle for the State’s rightful share of the Cauvery waters.
Addressing a press conference in Mysuru on Saturday, KRRS leader Badagalpura Nagendra said a delegation of about 25 to 50 leaders from the Cauvery basin regions will reach Delhi and hold a protest in front of the venue of the next Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC) meeting.
Mr. Nagendra said they will finalise the date of their demonstration before the next CWRC meeting. “We will go to Delhi for sure. Even if we are not allowed to protest in front of the CWRC meeting, we will do it at Jantar Mantar and send a memorandum detailing our plight and demands to them,” he said.
The KRRS leader said he had gone through Karnataka’s arguments before the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and the CWRC. “Even though the State’s representative brings to their notice in a raised voice that Karnataka cannot release water, the CWMA and the CWRC is not considering Karnataka’s arguments. They are making mathematic calculations and are asking us to release water,” Mr. Nagendra said.
The KRRS leader has also sought the co-operation of MPs from Karnataka and the State government’s representative in New Delhi in their struggle. “They should participate in the struggle with us,” he said, adding that their struggle will complement the State government’s efforts to secure Karnataka its rightful share of the Cauvery waters.
Mr. Nagendra, who urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the Cauvery crisis, regretted that Karnataka’s MPs, particularly the BJP MPs, were “spineless”. “They are afraid to even seek an appointment with Mr. Modi,” he lamented.
The KRRS said it wanted nine MPs representing the Cauvery basin region to come to the streets and agitate against the injustice to Karnataka. He pointed out that their representative Darshan Puttannaiah was participating in the indefinite protests and similiarly all the 55 MLAs of the Cauvery region too should come to the streets.
With regard to the reported anxiety over the State government being dismissed or being pulled up for contempt of court for disobeying orders on the release of water, Mr. Nagendra said the government should immediately convene a legislature session and pass a resolution against release of water to Tamil Nadu.
“The decision against the release of water will have to be taken by the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council,” he said.
The KRRS will shortly hold a seminar in Bengaluru to come up with temporary and permanent solutions to the Cauvery imbroglio by inviting experts of law, agriculture, irrigation, and administration.
The KRRS will work towards evolving a new formula on the optimum use of available water, cropping pattern and saving water for drinking purposes that was agreeable not only to Karnataka, but even the Centre and Tamil Nadu, he said.
Mr. Nagendra said efforts will also be made to revive the Cauvery family, which was working towards co-operation between people of the riparian States. He said the Cauvery family had 11 members each from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, besides two each from Pondicherry and Kerala, besides five experts.
