Stage set for Jaya's fast in city tomorrow

Chennai, Mar 17 (UNI) The stage is set for AIADMK General Secretary and former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to observe a day's fast here tomorrow, on the Cauvery issue, even as Chief Minister M Karunanidhi appealed to political party leaders not to precipitate the matter.

After waging a month-long war of attrition with the DMK Government, the former chief minister has warned of direct action and announced the hunger strike for tomorrow to condemn the State and Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre for not initiating any step to notify the award in the Gazette and its implementation.

This is the second time, Ms Jayalalithaa will observe fast on the Cauvery water issue. After assuming office as Chief Minister for the first time in 1991, she observed a fast for three days, near Anna Samadhi on the Marina in July 1993.

Two years after the Tribunal gave its interim award in 1991 and Karnataka refused to honour the award, Ms Jayalalithaa undertook a fast for the seting up of monitoring and implementation committees on the interim award.

Ms Jayalalithaa has been given permission by the city police to observe the token fast near Valluvar Kottam, a memorial built by her bete-noire, Mr Karunandhi, in memory of saint poet Thiruvalluvar.

Work was going on at high speed at the fasting venue with contractors busy putting up a huge pandal and erecting an elevated dias, while partymen vie with each other in putting up posters and hoardings to impress their leader.

A huge hoarding, showing Ms Jayalalithaa lying down, while observing the fast in 1993 on the Marina, has been installed at a vantage point near the dias. Other hoardings hailed Ms Jayalalithaa for the efforts, she was taking to protect the rights of the farmers.

After Ms Jayalalithaa's fast tomorrow, the partymen would observe state-wide fast on March 21. The party leadership has appealed to general public and farmers to take part in the fast in large numbers.

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