Kovai fumes over Kerala’s dams across River Bhavani

Around 250 members of the left parties, led by Communist Party of India (CPI) state president R Mutharasan blocked a train at North Coimbatore station urging the communist led government in Kerala to stop the construction of the check dams across Bhavani. 

Mutharasan told reporters that the communist parties in the state will not stop protests against their comrades in Kerala government, if the latter’s acts affected the people of Tamil Nadu. Stating that they have already made a representation to the Kerala government requesting them to stop the construction of the check dams, Mutharasan added that their committee will once again hold talks with the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in this regard. 

In Erode, 507 persons including 72 women led by senior leader D Pandian took out a procession from the Kalaimaatu Silai to the Erode Railway Station, where they were arrested by the police. At Ettimadai in rural Coimbatore, thousands of men, women and children from Coimbatore, Erode and Tirupur attached to various political parties and organizations blocked the Palakkad-Coimbatore road. The protest affected traffic between the two states from 10.30 am. to 2 pm. 

Speaking at the occasion, Ku Ramakrishnan, general secretary of Thanthai Periyar Dravida Kazhagam (TPDK), which organised the protest said that River Bhavani originates in Tamil Nadu before flowing into Kerala and back to Tamil Nadu. He opined that the river should be blocked from flowing into Kerala. 

Supporting Ramakrishnan’s opinion, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) deputy general secretary Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan said the move would be possible if DMK comes to power in the state. 

Stating that leaders of a few organizations had claimed about stopping the supply of essential commodities to Kerala from Tamil Nadu, she said that DMK did not support the idea as it would directly affect the TN farmers producing them. 

Blaming the instability in the state government as the main reason for Tamil Nadu being unable to stop the construction of the dams, she said that Kerala had completed the construction of the first check dam across Bhavani river at Thekkuvattai and expedited the construction of the second one at Manjakandi. 

Former minister M P Swaminathan and Pongalur N Palanisamy also spoke.  Manithaneya Makkal Katchi founder M H Jawahirullah criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for organising the ‘Thaagam Theerkum Thamarai Yathirai’ (movement to quench the thirst in the Coimbatore region) without taking proactive steps to stop the construction of dams across Bhavani river. 

Other political parties including Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC), Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Social Democratic Party of India, Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi and Kongunadu Jananayaka Katchi besides various organizations and farmers associations took part in the protest.

In all 1,604 people including women were arrested. Earlier, a section of the protesters damaged the glass window panes of a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus, following which bus service between the two states was affected for a few hours. Protesters also pelted stones at a truck bearing Tamil Nadu registration as the driver tried to make his way through those who blocked the road. Cadre of a fringe outfit were arrested for picketing a Kerala Club in the city.