PIL seeking Central forces to protect Tamils in Karnataka

Chennai, Feb 5 (UNI) A Public Interest Litigation was today filed in Madras High Court, seeking a direction to the Union Government to protect the life and property of Tamils living in Karnataka by deploying paramilitary forces or CRPF to prevent violence in the wake of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal's final award.

In his PIL, K V Elankeeran of Cuddalore District, a social worker also sought to restrain the Chief Secretary of Karnataka from declaring a government-sponsored bandh in the state.

He said when the Tribunal passed an interim award on June 21, 1991, directing Karnataka to release 205 tmc water to Tamil Nadu, that state did not honour it. Instead it passed the Cauvery Irrigation Protection Act. The Supreme Court held the act invalid and directed the Tribunal's interim award to be notified in the gazette. This was done on December 11, 1991, and it got legal effect.

''Opposing the notification, an orgy of violence was unleashed on Tamilians in Karnataka. The Karnataka Government declared a three-day bandh on December 13, 1991. There was unprecedented violence, destruction of property and danger to life and liberty and Tamils fled the state. In all 161 Tamils were killed and 81 Tamil women raped. Hundreds of houses of Tamils were destroyed. The destruction was valued at Rs 300 crore. The pattern of violence showed it was deliberate and planned, the PIL claimed.

The government itself organised the anti-Tamil riots, Mr Elankeeran alleged.

Based on evidence, the Human Rights Tribunal gave a finding that all this happened because of the bandh.

UNI