Jayalalitha’s fast in Chennai triggers fresh protests in Karnataka

Former Tamil Nadu J Jayalalitha’s fast in Chennai over the Cauvery issue triggerred counter-protests in the Cauvery basin in Karnataka with Kannada activists holding up trains and staging demonstrations and road blockades in Bangalore and Mandya yesterday.

As part of the fresh round of protests rocking Karnataka over the Cauvery tangle, Kannada activists stopped a Tamil Nadu-bound train originating from Mysore at Induvala in Mandya district yesterday. Waving Kannada flags, the activists clambered atop the train’s engine and shouted slogans against Jayalalitha for “stoking” the Cauvery fire by seeking the implementation of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal’s award.

Several demonstrators squatted on the Mysore-Bangalore highway at Mandya, blocking vehicular traffic several hours on Sunday morning.

Veteran farmers’ leader and former MP G Made Gowda launched a parallel hunger strike at the Silver Jubilee Grounds in Mandya yesterday to protest Jayalalitha’s fast in support of the Tribunal’s award, which has been rejected by Karnataka. A large number of farmers joined Made Gowda and lent support to his struggle against the “injustice” meted out to Karnataka in the vexed Cauvery dispute.

Similiar protests were held in Bangalore with Kannada protagonist Vatal Nagaraj leading a large crowd of Kannada activists to the Raj Bhavan and submitting a memorandum to Governor T N Chaturvedi urging the Federal Government not to issue a gazette notification on the Tribunal’s award as sought by the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.

The Kannada activists staged a road blockade in front of the Raj Bhavan. Vatal Nagaraj accused Jayalalitha of staging a fast in Chennai only to “revive her sagging political fortunes”.

The Karnataka unit of JD (U) observed a “black day” on Sunday to denounce Jayalalitha’s act of staging a fast over the Cauvery issue. JD (U)’s Karnataka unit President B Somashekar criticised the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister for precipitating the matter.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Protection Forum has decided to take out a Rath Yatra from Talacauvery, the birth place of river Cauvery in Kodagu district, to Bangalore. Forum President Narayan Gowda told reporters that the Rath Yatra, which will begin on March 21, would culminate on March 29 at Bangalore, where a huge public rally will be held.