Mandya shuts down as pro-Kannada outfits and farmers protest over Cauvery issue

MANDYA: Farmers and pro-Kannada outfits staged massive protests in Mandya and Maddur on Saturday against the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s directive to the Karnataka government to release 5,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu for 15 days.

Necessary security arrangements were made by the police in view of the bandh to tackle any untoward situation. Some private educational institutes also voluntarily declared a holiday for students in support of the bandh and college students participated in the protest. Even, traders’ associations, hotels, petrol station owners, auto drivers, private bus and lorry owners’ associations extended their support.

The protesters expressed their anger at the state government by closing shops, blocking the Shimsha river bridge and the old Mysuru-Bengaluru highway. Members of pro-Kannada organisations and farmers’ outfits staged protest by rolling on the roads, taking out processions, forming human chains and demonstrating on the streets while raising slogans.

Maddur and other taluk centres were also shut due to the bandh and buses too did not operate. Shops and businesses remained closed and only essential services including milk, medicine and hospitals were available.

Farmers across Karnataka have been protesting since the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) ordered the state to release 5,000 cusecs of water to its neighbouring state Tamil Nadu for 15 days, effective September 13.

A protest march was held near the Visvesvaraya statue in Mandya on Saturday morning. Later, a procession was taken out through the main roads of Mandya under the leadership of Raitha Hitarakshana Samiti, and a bike rally was organised by pro-Kannada organisation. A massive protest was held at Kolli Circle in Maddur and at Sanjay Circle in Mandya.

Shivakumar, a protester, expressed outrage at the government by eating soil during the protest. He said the government has cheated the farmers as it has already released Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu on the orders of the Cauvery Water Management Authority. “We are already facing uncertain rainfall and we will face more difficulties in the coming days if this continues”, he said.

Requesting with the government to stop further release of water, Shivakumar said, “The government should at least wake up now and appeal to the Supreme Court to stop Cauvery water so that Karnataka farmers get some relief from the shortage of water”.

Another protester said that if the government does not stop Cauvery water release, people of Bengaluru and other cites may face difficult days. “We will hold aggressive protests and call for ‘Karnataka bandh’ in the coming days”, the protesters warned.

“The government has no will power and they are not committed to safeguarding the interests of farmers. Their concerns about farmers are mere words. The government could have taken a strong stand over releasing the water, but they didn’t”, a farmer said.