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Journalism of Courage
It is easy to dismiss the Karnataka government’s gesture of releasing three tmc (thousand million cubic feet) of water to Tamil Nadu as a consequence of nature’s, rather than that state’s, generosity. Karnataka Chief Minister Dharam Singh only agreed to release this water because the monsoon rains in his state have been plentiful and Karnataka had, in any case, to discharge the excess water from its Kabini dam to protect it. Or so the argument goes. But those who raise it, lack both generosity and discernment. Dharam Singh could have struck a cussed stance, if he had so chosen. What is refreshing about the latest episode in the long and fractious battle between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over the sharing of the Cauvery waters, was the maturity and lack of shrillness that marked the interaction between the politicians of the two states on the issue. It is this lesson that other states, presently locked in river disputes of various kinds, could gainfully imbibe.
The trick really is to de-politicise these disputes. This, of course, is easier said than done, since water defines regional identities and creates wealth and votes. To an extent, some consensus was achieved this time because the AIADMK and DMK put aside their political differences and came together on the issue. Similarly, Dharam Singh handled the potentially explosive political fall-out of water sharing by a quiet display of understatement and patience. He waited for the opportune moment to make his move, with the support of his partner-in-government, the Janata Dal (S). Something else happened this time as well. Farmers of both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu decided to come together to study their common problem of acute water shortage. This innovative move had much to commend itself. It helped clarify perspectives and break down constructed divides between ‘us’ and ‘them’. Indeed, if India is to move towards the idea of linking rivers on a pan-national scale, it would need this same maturity and spirit of give-and-take in abundant measure.
The big question now is whether Punjab and Haryana can summon the necessary maturity to address their old tussle over the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SyL). The Supreme Court has just severely reprimanded Punjab, and its chief minister, for failing to comply with its direction to complete the unfinished SYL canal and has even directed the Centre to step in and begin construction, much to the chagrin of the political leaders in Punjab cutting across party lines. The situation is getting more serious by the day, yet the new Union minister of water resources, Priya Ranjan Das Munshi, is nowhere to be sighted. Perhaps he finds Euro 2004 more exciting than attending to boring water disputes at home.
