MYSURU: A day after both Houses of the state legislature adopted a resolution that Cauvery water would be used only to quench the thirst of people in basin region and Bengaluru, former Member of Parliament and head of Cauvery Hitarakshana Vedike, G Made Gowda, temporarily withdrew the 20 day-long agitation against release of water to Tamil Nadu, on Saturday.
Mr Made Gowda, who vowed to continue the stir demanding compensation of Rs 25,000 to farmers on Friday, announced his decision after a brief meeting with farmers. He said the decision followed by an assurance by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to announce compensation for crop loss. “Mr Siddaramaiah also assured that farmers who were arrested during the agitation will be released, and cases against them will be dropped,” he said.
When Mr Made Gowda commenced the protest on Saturday morning near the statue of the late Sir M Vishveswaraiah in Mandya, over 24 pontiffs of various Maths including Sri Murugarajendra swami, Trinethra Mahantha swami and others joined him.
Sri Purushoththamananda swami said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should intervene and announce a national water policy. Retired police officers too joined the protest while students of MMIT blocked Bengaluru-Mysuru highway for a while.
Evidently irked by the silence of former housing minister and local legislator, M H Ambareesh, during the agitation by farmers and pro-Kannada activists, RTI activist K R Ravindra wrote to Mr Siddaramaiah to recover the amount spent by the state government when the former minister was hospitalized in Singapore.
The letter was handed over deputy commissioner Mr Jiya Ulla. The actor-politician did not show up to receive ‘Chunchasri’ award presented by Adichunchangiri Math as part of 38th Sri Kaalabyreswara jaanapada mela on Saturday.
Mr Made Gowda commenced the stir soon after the apex court’s first order on September 5 for release of 15,000 cusecs water to Tamil Nadu every day to the neighbouring state.
The agitation intensified when the Supreme Court passed another order a week later to ensure flow of 12,000 cusecs a day till September 20 resulting in complete halt of vehicular traffic on Bengaluru-Mysuru highway. Many farmers attempted to end their lives—some tried to drown in the river while others tried to hang themselves but were rescued by personnel of the fire department.
