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Journalism of Courage
The ongoing protests in the Mandya region of Karnataka have been triggered by the Supreme Court’s refusal Thursday (September 21) to interfere with the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s (CWMA) direction to the state to release 5,000 cusecs of water per day for 15 days to neighbouring Tamil Nadu.
Cauvery, also known as the ‘Dakshina Ganga’ or the Ganges of the south, is the fourth largest river of southern India. It has been considered as the economic backbone of the states through which it flows, making its impact felt most strongly in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
While the contest for Cauvery can be traced back to the 11th century AD, modern-day Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have been at loggerheads over the sharing of the river’s water for years now with recurring widespread protests in both states.
Here’s a look at the protests that took place on the issue since 2012:
Farmers and pro-Kannada outfits Thursday began staging protests in various parts of the state in reaction to the SC's refusal to interfere in the CWMA order. Former Chief Ministers BS Yediyurappa, Basavaraj Bommai along with other leaders and BJP supporters joined the protests on Saturday.
Attacking the Congress government in Karnataka for “failing to explain the ground realities” to the Court, the Opposition BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) (JD-S) asked whether “Cauvery water was being released to Tamil Nadu to keep the INDIA alliance partners happy”.
Karnataka BJP in August this year staged a protest at Mandya condemning the state government decision to release of Cauvery water from Krishnarajasagar (KRS) dam to downstream Tamil Nadu. The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) had directed the release of 10,000 cusecs of water daily to the neighbouring state.
The ‘Mekedatu march’ in January 2022 was launched for implementation of a project to build a reservoir on the Cauvery at Mekedatu near the Tamil Nadu border. The proposed reservoir, which aims to supply drinking water to Bengaluru and surrounding regions, has been challenged in the Supreme Court by Tamil Nadu on the ground that it would eat into the state’s share of Cauvery water as adjudicated by the court in 2018. The then Opposition party leaders Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar also participated in the 'padayatra'.
It was halted a day after the Karnataka High Court had raised questions on how it could be carried out amid rising Covid-19 cases in the state.
Hundreds of Cauvery protesters briefly took over key roads in Tamil Nadu's capital city leading to the venue in a bid to disrupt the first IPL match of the season in 2018.
Police had to resort to lathicharge at least thrice as people protesting against the Centre’s delay in constituting the Cauvery Management Board tried to evade barricades to approach the road leading to the stadium in Chennai. With two hours to go for the start, police arrested over 300 protesters belonging to various groups, including the TVK, Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam, Viduthalai Thamizh Puligal Katchi, Thamizhar Vidiyal Katchi, and at least 10 from actor Rajnikanth's fans association.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Chennai in April 2018 was marked by thousands of Cauvery protesters marching through the streets, loudly chanting ‘Go back Modi’. Wearing black, holding black flags and releasing black helium balloons into the sky, the protesters expressed outrage over the Centre’s failure in implementing the Supreme Court order on Cauvery water.
The protests had led to the arrest of 4,000 people with hundreds of government buses deployed to remove protesters.
Protests were organised by different political parties in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday to condemn the BJP-led Central government’s alleged indifference and delay in forming the Cauvery Water Management Board (CWMB).
The biggest protest rally was held in Trichy, a city about 300 km south of Chennai, where T T V Dinakaran - Independent MLA and leader of the recently launched Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) party - and farmers' leader P Ayyakannu led a march of more than 5,000 people.
The 2016 protests related to the Cauvery water-sharing dispute with Tamil Nadu claimed two lives in Karnataka. More than 300 people were arrested with police continuing a manhunt for those who instigated the violence. Section 144 was imposed in several parts of Bengaluru.
The then Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara had said that the Supreme Court order had asked Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu, and the attacks on Kannadigas in the neighbouring state had prompted “genuine activists” to hold protests in the state. “But some anti-social elements joined the protests. We will find out the background of the accused once police complete the arrests,” he had added.
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