As Karnataka and Tamil Nadu find themselves locked in a long-standing impasse over the distribution of Cauvery water spanning more than 150 years, the protests by farmers from both states have evolved into a competition to surpass each other in creative demonstrations. As the day-long bandh came to an end, around 1,400 people were detained by authorities across Karnataka and 784 in Bengaluru for protesting during the statewide bandh. No incident of violence was reported across the state.
Karnataka bore witness to a widespread shutdown orchestrated by the Kannada Okkoota, a coalition comprising over 2,000 pro-Kannada organisations. This shutdown was aimed at opposing the release of water to Tamil Nadu and garnered significant support. Bengaluru, along with various regions in southern Karnataka, including districts through which the Cauvery river flows, such as Mandya, Mysuru, Bengaluru Urban, Chamarajanagar, Ramanagara, and Hassan, experienced a complete standstill.
Beyond the reasons behind the bandh, what captured the public’s attention were the innovative protest methods employed on both sides of the border.
In Karnataka’s Ramanagara, members of pro-Kannada groups organised a symbolic funeral for Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin. Protesters sought to replicate a funeral scene by placing a picture of the Tamil Nadu CM adorned with a flower garland and performing a mock ritual of final rites, symbolising their protest.
Sathish Gowda, a participant in the protest, explained, “The idea was to illustrate how our farmers are succumbing to drought, and if water continues to be diverted to Tamil Nadu, many such funerals will become a tragic reality in Karnataka.”
Meanwhile, farmers from Tamil Nadu’s Tiruchirapalli and the Cauvery basin protested against Karnataka by placing dead rats in their mouths. They conveyed that their fate would be similar to these rats if Karnataka did not release the allocated quantity of water necessary to save the ‘kuruvai’ crop cultivation in Tamil Nadu.
Vatal Nagaraj, a senior Karnataka politician renowned for his innovative and serial protests, was among those leading the bandh in Karnataka. He was detained by the police at Bengaluru’s Town Hall as part of his unique protest, during which he donned a burkha to underscore the importance of Cauvery water for Karnataka. Speaking to the media about his burkha-clad appearance, Nagaraj explained, “It is the women of Karnataka who bear the brunt when there is no drinking water. I have worn a burkha to express my solidarity with these women and highlight the drinking water crisis and drought across the state.”
In another demonstration, farmers from Tiruchirapalli stood in the waist-deep Cauvery, demanding the immediate release of water to Tamil Nadu to save the lives of farmers.
Karnataka farmers used creative tactics as well, with some transporting goats on their two-wheelers and carrying empty water bottles on their cycles to emphasise that their cattle would perish if water were released to Tamil Nadu. A farmer named Kiran Arudur, who was spotted with a cycle loaded with empty water bottles, sought water to take back to his fellow farmers in Periyapatna.
To counter Karnataka farmers’ stance against releasing water, another group of Tamil Nadu farmers sat with minimal clothing, holding begging bowls and bones as symbols of their dire situation. They cried out in unison, “Our Cauvery is dry. We have no food or money. That’s why we are here with begging bowls, seeking alms to survive,” during their protest in Trichy, one of the severely affected regions in Tamil Nadu.
Karnataka farmers even resorted to a dramatic “acting-dead” approach in their protest, with one protester lying “dead” while adorned with a garland. Amidst chants of ‘Cauvery Nammudu’ (Cauvery is ours), the farmer was symbolically bathed with a bottle of water and soap, highlighting the severe water scarcity they face.
Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, who holds the water resources portfolio, said that the bandh was actually not necessary but went off peacefully. He said the Congress government in Karnataka has ensured that nobody faced hardship during the stir. The bandh received support from the sandalwood industry, including big actors such as Shivrajkumar and Darshan, among others.
As the issue continues to heat up, Tamil Nadu has decided to demand in the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s meeting, asking Karnataka to release water at the rate of 12,500 cusecs daily, said the TN water resources minister Duraimurugan to the media.
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