Tamil Nadu All Farmers' Associations Coordination Committee President PR Pandian has launched a harsh attack on Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, saying that protests taking place in Karnataka are being instigated by the state government.
“All protests taking place in Karnataka are instigated by the Karnataka CM,” Pandian said, and he urged the Tamil Nadu government to approach the court against Shivakumar’s actions.
Pandian said Karnataka Chief Minister’s statements and actions could escalate tensions between people belonging to the two neighbouring states. If the issue is not handled properly, the issue might take an ethnic turn, creating friction between Tamils and Kannadigas.
What they said was in line with the long-standing Cauvery water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Political disputes over the sharing of Cauvery river waters have led to protests and demonstrations in both states and can be quite volatile.
Pandian has asked the Tamil Nadu government to take legal action rather than letting the dispute escalate on the streets. He said the state government should try to approach the judiciary against DK Shivakumar, as legal action might prevent the Cauvery issue from becoming more fraught.
“All protests taking place in Karnataka are instigated by the Karnataka CM.”
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At present, people’s emotions are very high about the Cauvery water sharing dispute. Political leaders and farmers in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have long been concerned about the distribution and release of water, especially when there is poor rainfall and reservoir levels are low.
The Cauvery dispute is not just a political issue; it affects farmers in both states. Karnataka farmers depend primarily on the river for irrigation, and Tamil Nadu’s Cauvery delta farmers depend on timely water releases for cultivation. The competing dependence has made water-sharing decisions politically sensitive.
Pandian’s comments also show concerns about protests and political rhetoric spilling into broader tensions between communities. Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have deep economic, cultural and social ties, and people from both states live, work and do business across the border.
In the long term, any escalation in rhetoric would have far-reaching consequences beyond the immediate political conflict. Farmers' organisations, civil society organizations and political parties have always called for the Cauvery issue not to be fought but to be resolved through constitutional and judicial means.
When it comes to the Tamil Nadu government, Pandian's request to approach the court to protect Shivakumar has not yet been taken up. The legal action would add to the already tense interstate water dispute.
Pandian’s remarks might only deepen the political debate over the Cauvery. His claim that Karnataka’s protests are being instigated by the Chief Minister is political, and it remains to be seen whether the protests were organised or encouraged by the Karnataka government.
The larger issue is the peace of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. And though disagreements over river-water sharing are likely to remain, political leaders in both areas will have to make sure that the conflict doesn’t lead to clashes between people.
