Bengaluru: Even as tension continues to simmer between Karnataka and TN over sharing of Cauvery water, efforts are on to revive “Cauvery Kutumbam”, a dialogue group comprising of social thinkers, farmers and non-political activists of both states to assist the governments in resolving the dispute.
The forum was floated in 2003 when the dispute had flared up similarly. Prof N Prakash, an agricultural scientist with the UAS in Bengaluru and Prof Janakarajan, a professor at the Madras Institute of Development Studies, had joined farmer leaders from both states to form it and “Kutumbam” held its first meeting in Chennai in April that year.
“We achieved important milestones through dialogue. Had the subsequent governments accepted our solution, all this tension could have been avoided. Now there are enquiries from both sides to revive the process,” said Prof Prakash.
Prof Janakaraj said those who had little to do with the dispute were taking advantage of it. “No farmer will indulge in hooliganism. Whenever an aggrieved state moves court for water during a deficit rain year, it gets water along with blood. Farmer to farmer dialogue is required along with a meet of stakeholders,” he added.
