Jaya on fast; condemns Centre, TN on Cauvery

Chennai, Mar 18: Upping the ante on the Cauvery issue, AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa today observed a day-long fast to condemn the Centre and the Tamil Nadu Government for their ''failure'' to implement the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal. The fast was also to demand the Centre to immediately notify the final award in the official gazette.

The Valluvar Kottam area, the venue of the agitation, wore a festive look with thousands of AIADMK cadre, including a large number of women and party functionaries thronging the place to join their leader's hunger strike.

Draped in a dark brown saree, the AIADMK supremo took the dais at 0900 hrs amid thunderous reception by the party cadre. She cheerfully waved at the crowd and flashed the victory sign to them.

Party Presidium Chairman E Madhusudhanan, senior leaders O Panneerselvam, K A Sengottaiyan and D Jayakumar were among others who were present on the dais along with their leader.

Leaders of allied parties and representatives of various farmers organisations particularly from the Cauvery delta areas offered their felicitations to Ms Jayalalithaa on the occasion. MDMK General Secretary Vaiko would offer lime juice to her at 1700 hrs and formally end the fast.

This was the AIADMK supremo's second protest fast on the Cauvery issue, 13 years after she observed a four-day fast on the sands of Marina on July 18 in 1993, demanding implementation of the interim award of the Tribunal.

The then Union Water Resources Minister V C Shukla flew down to Chennai to persuade Ms Jayalalithaa, who was the Chief Minister then, to end the fast.

Ms Jayalalithaa announced the fast after waging a statement war with Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on gazetting the Tribunal's final award. Dismissing as ''incorrect'' Mr Karunanidhi's contention that the award could not be gazetted before the Tribunal hear the review petitions to be filed by disputing parties within a three-month period, she said preferring an appeal before the Tribunal and gazetting the award were two different issues.

She also challenged the Chief Minister for a debate by legal experts from both sides on the issue.

Appealing to political parties not to precipitate the matter for personal gains, Mr Karunanidhi had said eminent lawyers K Parasaran and P P Rao, who had appeared for the case before the Tribunal, were unanimous that the Centre could not be compelled to issue the notification immediately at this stage.

As it was made out clear in an all-party meeting, convened on February 19, the Tamil Nadu Government, if necessary, would approach the Supreme Court at an appropriate time in an appropriate manner, he had asserted.

The Government had also released the Chief Minister's statement as advertisement in leading English and Tamil dailies yesterday.

UNI

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