ARUN PADAKI writes: The Supreme Court judgment has come. As I repeatedly keep listening to the song Dreamer from Ozzy Osbourne, I slip into a trance. But suddenly I realize that there is something and everything from this song that applies to Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in the present day.
All seems fine as of now as the reservoir at Krishna Raja Sagar presents a spectacular view with gushing waters. The Supreme Court order though a shade better than the interim one brings no cheer as Karnataka’s claim and clamor has found no takers.
Let us keep the Courts, the protestors, the farmers, the cities, the industries and the dirty politics apart for a while. Let politicians of both states sit together and ponder over the past century that has led to bickering with many lives lost and properties destroyed.
As Kaveri flows down the cool green Western Ghats, she swells in size as tiny rivulets and streams join her and the incessant monsoon rains hitting hard on the Ghats convert her into a potent force, a force that is the lifeline for crores and crores of people downstream, till the point she slips into the Bay of Bengal before passing over the hot plains of Tamil Nadu.
Every year when the rains continue, the entire journey of Kaveri is turned into a verdant landscape. The milling crowds downstream are so satisfied and often times have no concern to conserve this liquid gold for some tomorrow that could give rise to another conflict for the dearth of this gold.
Let us ask a very simple question: why can’t both the states with ingenuity chalk out a conservation charter that goes a long way in securing Kaveri for a long long time to come?
It should not matter to Tamil Nadu if they are investing crores to safeguard the forest and the bio diversity of Karnataka state, a state that speaks Kannada and whose denizens are called Kannadigas.
It should not matter to Karnataka if Tamil Nadu has a say in conserving the ecological balance in the Western Ghats or if they cultivate the Kuruvai.
One of the bio-diversity hotspots on the face of the earth, the Western Ghats is crucial for the survival of Deccan Plateau. It is time now to decide if more of logging, hydel projects, tea gardens, mines or highways cutting across the slopes of the Ghats are needed.
The coffee prices that fell during the start of the century led to logging in the estates of debt-laden planters, the vanishing timber to accommodate tea gardens and the hydel projects that inundate hundreds of acres of forests have impacted the rainfall leading to unpredictable monsoons. Also poaching of tiger that is on top of water security should stop right now.
Any commercial or ‘developmental’ activity that tampers with the forest will have to be paid a heavy price. As the song goes—Wondering if mother Earth will survive, hoping that mankind will stop abusing her, sometime—shouldn’t we be saying enough is enough and it is cul-de-sac to all these, sing the conservation anthem and work towards it.
After all, no Court order can save the day for TN if there are no rains, while Karnataka continues to burn at times of distress.
Well, let HDK and MK not plug on to Ozzy to solve our problems, but more forethought and a resolve to address the core issue would be wise rather than going through the hefty laws and paying fancy fees to the Attorneys and at the same time foster continued unrest in both the states.
If future wars are fought for waters, the victory cannot be achieved by firing more missiles, but by securing the water sources. And for that we need our forests to remain forests. Else the rain shadow region of ours will see no rains.
Arun Padaki Awarey
Ee Ozzy Osbourne hadannu kelikondu swalpa nimma dukka shamana madokolli; Ee hadu keladthey iro nammanthawarigey, nam Rajanna hagu itharara hadugalu bekadhastu ivey.
Tamilnadinavarey adha Veerappan anno maha conservationistu istu dhivasa Karnatakada aranyadhalli sakustu sadhaney madi awareday janara police gundigi sikku huthathmaradaru. Naawu astu istu madi Kaveri matthu adhara parisara ulisiddhevey.
annavra photo nodi khushi aaythu. article odhi kooda khushi aaythu.
aadre…
annavra photo-goo, ee article-goo sambhandha innu huduktha idhini… yargadru gottadre dayavittu tilisi…
Annovra pOta thorsi article Odhli antha Plaanu …
Naavu manku dhinne galaadhwu …Ozzy Osbourngu Rajkumargu Yathvasaa
gothilla yarappa yidhu Boopa…….
RK,
Dont waste your time. Do something better
With global warming , no more a phrase, but very real which can happen in our own lifetime, Arun, you have raised a pertinant issue which deserves very careful attention. Thanks. We can’t afford to play havoc with environment and yet,expect rains every year like in the past. When you tinker with nature ,you pay thorugh your lungs, as you can breathe no more.
To the point in question. As with classical language status, unless we are strong regionally, we will be pushovers. Chandra Babu Naidu proved by dictating terms to NDA earlier; Jaya and MK are doing the same by aligning with the centre and ‘shaking’ the Govt. once in a while and get their things done. Why, even for an issue like Sourav Ganguly, people from East in diverse parties like Somnath, Pranab, Brinda Karat and Mamta Didi came together to ‘put’ in a word to Sharad Pwar thro’ Madam and got him back.(He has played well, though, to his credit).
Unless we send 25 to 30 M.P.s from Karnataka, from a local party and survival of centre depends on that, you name a project, classical status, water, doubling railway track.. any one of these will be done in a jiffy.
Annavru could have done like NTR or MGR. Alas! he is no more. We need a leader around whom people could rally around to make our State stronger and better…(NTR took on Rajiv Gandhi when Andhra C.M. Anjaiah was humiliated in Hyderabad Airport ,by asking people to fight for ‘Telugu Porusham…’. Congress blown away in the election .The rest was history.)
We need to do that by building strong local base.
Arun,
An excellent piece. I am sure all of us can delve into the unfortunate political games played by the ‘lucky’ few. You have very good points here. Well written….
On that note, Ozzy, huh ? LOL….
Hey the judgement is not from Supreme Court but the biased Tribunal…Dont u think so!?
your viesw are all valild and suits for Ideal world…I donot see (foresee) the TN politicians understand all these…They dont mind letting all the water to Sea but they want to pull as much as they can from Karnataka…Though unscientific…it all will happen in this stupid sinned country
:-(
I think this will be my final post.Please bear with me.
I agree entirely with the gist of what shri ramachandran.You might have noted that this what i have been crying hoarse.
But one must also understand certain “weaknesses” in karnataka’s position.Unlike the other states ,where the regional identity is alive and kicking,in karnataka this has to be manufactured.
in this site T.S.Satyan,T.S.Nagarajan,chetan are tamil iyers.There is a chunk of “melnaatu” iyengars in mysore.Please do not misunderstand me.similarly telugu brahmanas,desastha maharashtrians for all of whom karnataka has been home for periods ranginf from 100 to 1000 years.They should not be anatogonised.
Similarly there are konkanis,tulus and kodagus who have a distinct identity.Karnataka should not go against “dharma”.There is a tamil proverb :”poruttat bhumi alvaar” one who has forbearance rules the world.
I hold no brief for other southern states.But karnataka is not meant to go that way.In tamil we say “karnatakama irrukale” which means “they are so orthodox”.In this age of kali,good people have to undergo so many adversity.but let us have faith in the Lord’s words “yada yada hi dharmasya …”
I believe the judgement is fair.I think karnataka politicians are going overboard.HDK has shown himself to be a very mature politician.The judges in the tribunal were from neutral states.Karnataka can increase its acreage.It can have a power station at the border.People in uttaranchal dont claim ganga only for themselves.Narmada is not only for MP.Godavari and krishna are not only for maharashtra.
Karnataka has to reach out to villages in kasargod,hosur,hogenakkal,dhenkanikotta,gudalur(ooty)which have substantial kannadiga population.
Also Hyderabad karnataka has to be developed.This is the way forward.
one more point.AP and TN have long coastline,and big ports.The rivers from western ghats drain into the coastal plains.They are very resourceful.They have larger populations as well. Karnataka has to play its cards carefuly.
KL avarige kannada barolla. aaley avarige halavaaru kannada forums haagu bloganlli BAN maadidhare.
i have learnt a lesson,not to interfere in something which does not concern me.it is an eye opener.But i must say doddi buddi(whatever that means),your comments are in very very poor taste,to say the least.
parvagilla bede …let him post anything he wants…olle tamashe agee irathe avara comments..tell me where else apart from internet can u post such crap and get away scot free
KL
Come on! It was said in jest and you went nearly mad! Frankly your comments have been very interesting and though-provoking. I apologize for my earlier remarks. Please continue to post your comments.
That should be thought-provoking
Rivers are natural resources that flows from one end to the other and it does not belong to one state or any individual …then why on earth are you guys fighting and being extremely selfish about sharing of something which not is not even yours to start off with!
First and foremost… All of you are INDIANS for heaven sake! What is the point of singing VandeMatharam and the other patriotic rhymes or songs and claim patriotism while you can’t even think about your fellow Indian suffering at the other end of the RIVER! Aren’t you ashame of this event!
Poornima , We also need cauvery water every morning when we get up.
How can we leave water to other end ..when we are smelling badly
Poornima
I would like to sing Vande Matharam after making sure we have water in the areas we live!
If the other fellow lives at the other end of the river, what is the problem? He too can sing the ‘Thanni’ song!
Some of the Kannadiga’s views I have read and I would like to say my brothers in Karnataka that all the Tamils in my state are not supporting all the language spoken and the politics palyed by either Jayalalitha or karunanidhi.Majority of Tamils know what is fair and how to go about the resourse like water.But some hooligans and thugs in the name of water make trouble either from the side of Jayalalitha or karunanidhi, we are helpless.We dont have any hard feelings about my brothers and sisters in Karnataka. Neither we think badly about the entire population of Karnata for the nefarious actitivies like burning of buildings and cars of Tamil Nadu registration by a section of thugs.We know Karnataka people are basically peace loving innocents.Helpless we are since short-sighted politicians and thugs rule the roost.