The Hindu : Toughest challenge for Krishna Govt.

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Sep 15, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Toughest challenge for Krishna Govt.

By S.K. Ramoo

BANGALORE SEPT. 14. Farmers in the Mandya and Mysore districts of Karnataka, who are on a warpath over the release of the Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, are causing difficulties to the Karnataka Government.

Last week, the Karnataka Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, and his Cabinet colleagues failed to convince the Krishna-Cauvery Hitarakshana Samithi, various Kannada organisations, and leaders of the two factions of the Janata Dal of the need to release 9,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu on a daily basis, as directed by the Cauvery River Authority (CRA) headed by the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee. Militant farmers stormed the Kabini and KRS reservoirs, damaged the sluice gates of the Kabini reservoir and disrupted the release of water to Tamil Nadu.

Farmers under the Cauvery-Krishna Co-ordination Committee, led by the former Congress MP, G. Made Gowda, are unrelenting in their stand on releasing water. Mr. Gowda was denied the Congress ticket for contesting the last Assembly elections. The Krishna Government, which is already under great pressure following the abduction of the former Minister, H. Nagappa, by the forest brigand Veerappan, is facing a formidable political challenge vis-à-vis the farmers and their leaders.

Surprisingly, the State unit of the BJP and its leaders have become allies of the Krishna Government owing to political compulsions. But the leaders of both factions of the Janata Dal have, in an apparent move to broaden their political base, come out in support of the agitating farmers. The former Prime Minister, H.D. Deve Gowda, has not openly come out in support of Mr. Krishna despite the latter calling on him twice for seeking his suggestions and support.

The perception of experts and jurists is that the State Government has failed to convince the Kannada protagonists and leaders of the two factions of the Janata Dal that the rights of the lower riparian State of Tamil Nadu cannot be dispensed with. According to them, Karnataka has no exclusive or monopoly rights over the Cauvery, which is an inter-State river. The depletion of water levels in the Cauvery reservoirs of the State and the failure of the southwest monsoon, in the view of the jurists, cannot be cited as reasons for not releasing water to Tamil Nadu.

The Cauvery Tribunal has observed that distress has to be shared equitably among the States involved in the disputes over the river water. The `rasta' and `rail roko' agitations by farmers between Bangalore and Mysore have greatly affected the mobility of the people and caused hardship. The worst-hit sector is tourism and other related segments such as hotels, and an enormous loss of revenue has been caused. The world famous Dussehra festivities at Mysore are likely to come under the shadow of the farmers' agitation. Mr. Krishna, who has had more or less trouble-free governance for three years, is confronted by tough challenges to his political career, which include freeing Mr. Nagappa from the clutches of Veerappan and appeasing the agitated farmers. His political detractors are taking advantage of his current predicament, and the two issues are posing a formidable challenge to his political sagacity and leadership qualities.

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