Mysuru: Dasara 2016 got underway with noted Kannada literature Chennaveera Kanavi inaugurating the 11 day ‘festival of land’ in the presence of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Both offered floral petals to Godess Chamundeshwari which marked the start of the celebrations.
Expressing his happiness while inaugurating Dasara, the Nadoja award winner recalled his first visit to Mysuru in 1942 prior independence to witness Dasara.
He spoke on the Cauvery issue and said, the Central government should create a national water policy and the PM must intervene to resolve the issue. He further said that knowledgeable people across the two states should not fight over the issue though Tamil Nadu is like a thorn in our own garden and felt the need of the hour is to find a solution do deal in crisis situations.
Thanking Chennaveera Kanavi for inaugurating Dasara, the CM lauded the noted writer for taking time off despite age and health factors.
Siddaramaiah said the Cauvery tangle is an old issue where Tamil Nadu gained hand when the erstwhile Madras state existed in an agreement signed long ago. The issue should have been settled by now, but unfortunately it still lingers. The CM hoped that Godess Chamundeshwari comes to the state’s rescue during these difficult times.
During the previous years, Tamil Nadu received more water share where as this year there is 48 per cent short fall due to deficit in rainfall with total storage dropping from 250 tmc to 129 tmc. Even last year, many taluks were drought-hit in the state, whereas the situation hasn’t improved this year though the state released 16 tmc water more to Tamil Nadu. The last order could not be followed mainly because Tamil Nadu is seeking water for their Samba crop where as the State is struggling to its meet drinking water needs.
Taking an indirect dig at the SC’s verdict, the CM said that all wings in democracy will have to work in tandem for better results and said the future course of action will depend on the outcome at the all-party meeting scheduled this evening at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru.
Devegowda goes on hunger strike in front of Gandhi statue
Meanwhile former PM and JD(S) national president Devegowda resorted to hunger strike after offering prayers at 2 temples in the city.
Soon after garlanding the statues of Gandhi and Ambedkar, the former CM said, the state does not have any intention to hurt Tamil Nadu, but insisted on a fact finding mission by the Central committee in the next 2 days’ time to assess the ground situation. Indirectly he hinted that, he has no problem in the state implementing the SC’s order after the visit of the fact finding committee.
His son HD Kumaraswamy has stood by his father’s move, but was worried about his father’s health condition considering his age.
