Tamil Nadu strike success: Opposition

Chennai: Opposition leaders who took part in agitations at various places in the state on Friday said the bandh demanding Cauvery Management Board was total and peaceful with the participation of traders, farmers, political parties and all sections of the public. DMK treasurer M.K. Stalin, MDMK general secretary Vaiko and VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan, besides leaders of farmers associations were arrested when they tried to block trains as part of the protests accompanying bandh. In the city, political parties and the federation of other outfits led by Thamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi leader T. Velmurugan held protests in 32 places including train blockade in 15 places and picketing in front of Central government offices.

Traders union leader T. Vellaiyan said there was a total shut down and the bandh was 100 per cent success. Entire Tamil Nadu had come to a standstill and the Centre should intervene to form the Cauvery Management Board (CMB). EMUs were continuously blocked from Thirumalpur, Maraimalai Nagar, Tambaram, Chromepet, Pallavaram and Alandur, as DMK MLAs came in batches to stop the trains.

DMK treasurer M.K. Stalin charged Jayalalithaa with not taking action in release of Cauvery water till farmers supported by the DMK held a protest on August 30. However, Thirumavalavan arrested after trying to block trains said the DMK as the Oopposition party should take the lead and unite the other parties to take necessary steps on the Cauvery issue. Besides legal measures, political pressure should be exerted on the Centre to solve the water disputes with neighbouring states.

Vaiko arrested while attempting to stop the trains at Tiruchy said Tamils had expressed their sentiments in a peaceful manner and the centre should understand this and fulfil their demands. If the Centre failed to ensure the rights of Tamil Nadu on rivers, it would affect national integrity, he warned. DMK MP Kanimozhi, principal secretary and other senior leaders led the protests at various districts in the state. DMDK founder Vijayakanth's wife Premalatha led a fast at his party headquarters to condemn the riots in Karnataka against Tamils.

Leaders advise youth against self-immolation:

Political leaders who paid homage to P. Vignesh who died of self-immolation on Friday appealed to Tamil youth not to resort to this kind of protests and said this should be the last such death in the state. Leader of Opposition M.K. Stalin, who paid tributes to the Naam Thamizhar cadre who burnt himself to death demanding Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, expressed shock and anguish over the death.

Sacrificing one’s lives at a young age stops them working for their ideas for many years and achieving them, he said. Tamil youth had sacrificed in a similar fashion on the Sri Lankan Tamils and anti-Hindi agitations. Though, their sacrifices are respected, no leader had accepted self-immolation as a form of protest, Stalin added. PMK founder S. Ramadoss said though Vignesh’ anger against injustice could be understood and his sacrifice is unmatched, self-immolation could not be accepted. Tamils should fight for their rights using legal methods and through exerting political pressure, he said.

MDMK leader Vaiko too said he saluted the sacrifice and respected the sentiments of the youth, but asked Tamils not to resort to self-immolation protests. Thamizhar Desiya Munnani leader P. Nedumaran said such self-immolations had not yielded success during the agitations to stop the Lankan military offensive against Tamils and asked youth not to follow such methods. Similar appeals were made by DK president K. Veeramani and Thami-zhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi leader T. Velmurugan.

Naam Thamizhar leader P. Seeman while paying tribute to the youth, said this kind of activities caused more anguish to the families and parties to which they belong and appealed not to follow this method.