Karnataka's drought hit farmers are back on the streets over the Cauvery river's water, and this time the anger is aimed squarely at their own Congress government. A high level meeting of the Cauvery Water Management Authority in Delhi directed Karnataka to release Cauvery water for Tamil Nadu, and that single order has set off protests across farming belts in the state. What makes this round unusual is that until now the opposition had been the one cornering the government on this issue, but this time farmers themselves have taken to the roads against the Congress dispensation. Protests intensified in areas like Mandya, Srirangapatna and Mysuru, with attempts to burn tyres in some places and, in at least one instance, protesters going as far as trying to harm themselves.
Why an order made amid drought lit the fuse
Farmers argue that with several parts of Karnataka already grappling with drought like conditions and some areas even facing a drinking water crunch, releasing water to Tamil Nadu would work directly against the state's own interests. The state government, meanwhile, finds itself trying to balance its legal obligations with court directives, a balancing act that farmers simply refuse to accept. That refusal is what pushed protests to boil over quickly in Mandya, Srirangapatna and Mysuru. Farmer organisations have issued a clear warning that if water is released to Tamil Nadu, the agitation will turn even more intense, and that threat has visibly ratcheted up political pressure on the Congress government.
In Mandya, sloganeering gives way to burning tyres and diesel
Protests broke out in Mandya and several other districts almost as soon as the authority's decision became public. Farmers allege that in a drought situation, the needs of the state's own people and farmers should have been prioritised first, and that this simply did not happen. At Sanjay Circle in Mandya, farmers raised slogans against the Cauvery Water Management Authority. One protester attempted to set a tyre on fire to register the protest, but police seized the tyre in time. The situation escalated further when some protesters, in visible distress, tried pouring diesel on themselves. Police stepped in swiftly, seized the diesel bottle, and urged the protesters to keep their demonstration peaceful. In Srirangapatna, farmers went down to the riverbank itself, staging a protest near a bathing ghat to voice their anger at the government.
'Don't release even a drop', farmer leader's blunt demand
Farmer leader Kuruburu Shanthakumar demanded that the state government approach the Supreme Court without any delay. "Not a single drop of water should be released, the state government must go to the Supreme Court immediately," he said. He pointed to a worsening drinking water crisis in the state and drought conditions squeezing farmers, and said protests would continue on the streets from the following day. According to Shanthakumar, the state government must protect farmers' interests and fight the legal battle by challenging the order of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) in court. Farmer organisations maintain that releasing water under the current circumstances would amount to outright injustice against lakhs of farmers in the state.
Mysuru joins in with its own warning of a fiercer agitation
The protest fire reached Mysuru as well, where activists of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike Swabhimani Balaga staged a vigorous demonstration. Protesters raised slogans against both the state government and the Cauvery Water Management Authority. The organisation issued a clear warning that the agitation would intensify further if water is released to Tamil Nadu. Protesters demanded that the government understand the sentiments of farmers and not compromise on the state's water rights under any circumstances. Such warnings have only added to the Congress government's troubles, caught as it is between the pressure to comply with court orders and the anger of its own farmer vote base.
Government turns to legal experts as protests mount
Amid the escalating protests, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar held telephonic discussions with legal experts on the Cauvery dispute and worked on the next course of action. According to information available, the government has for now decided not to release water till Sunday. An all party meeting will follow after that, where the views of all parties will be taken before a final call is made. It is also believed the government is seriously considering the option of approaching the Supreme Court to seek legal relief against the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee's order.
'Officials always side with Tamil Nadu', says Congress MLA
In a striking turn, Congress MLA Ravi Ganiga, from the ruling party itself, also questioned the Cauvery Water Management Authority's decision. "Officials of the Cauvery Water Management Authority have always sided with Tamil Nadu," he said. Ganiga added that the government should not release water for any reason, warning that doing so would force him to join hands with the protesting farmers. He claimed that Tamil Nadu's dam holds far more water than Karnataka's. He said he would meet the Chief Minister to request that water not be released, and further alleged that all officials of the authority are from Tamil Nadu and have consistently favoured that state's interests. The comments from a legislator of the ruling party itself have only deepened the controversy. All eyes are now on the government's next strategy, the possible legal steps it takes, and the outcome of the upcoming all party meeting.
