Date:15/03/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/03/15/stories/2007031512340400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Cauvery: federation plans Statewide protest

Special Correspondent

BANGALORE: The Akhila Karnataka Gadi Horata Samithi, a federation of nearly 500 Kannada organisations, will observe a Statewide protest titled "Nadubeedhi Satyagraha" (protest in the middle of the road) on March 18 to protest against the injustice meted out to Karnataka in the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.

The former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa will also be staging a protest against the delay in notification of the final award on the same day in Chennai.

Announcing the protest plan at a press conference in Bangalore, samithi president and Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha leader Vatal Nagaraj, MLA, said thousands of activists would participate in the protest to be held right from village panchayats to district centres.

In Bangalore, a dharna would be held in front of the Raj Bhavan.

It is the second phase of the protest being launched by the samithi against the tribunal's final award.

It had held its first phase of protests for five days from February 8 and had even called a State bandh.

Similarly, a rail roko would be observed on March 21 when the Kannada activists would block trains, Mr. Nagaraj said.

Centre criticised

Taking exception to the Centre not taking any initiative to resolve the issue, Mr. Nagaraj threatened to stage a protest in front of the office of the Prime Minister in Delhi in May first week if the Union Government failed to intervene by May 1.

The former legislator G. Prabhakar Reddy, Akhila Karnataka Rajkumar Fans' Association president Sa.Ra. Govindu, Dalit Sangharsha Samithi leader N. Murthy and Kannada Sene leader G. Kumar were among those present.