Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Jan 9: The errant ways of the politicians fudging with public health manifested in Karnataka on Sunday when the Congress went ahead with its proposed “water padyatra” defying the massive surge in the Covid cases and the weekend curfew imposed by the state government.
A day after Karnataka reported 8,906 Covid cases – the most in a day since mid-June – the Congress launched the 10-day protest march over implementation of the Mekedatu drinking water project, caught in a legal wrangle with Tamil Nadu, drawing a crowd of thousands in defiance of pandemic protocols, including the use of face masks and maintain social distance.
The Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has questioned the timing of the Congress’ grand protest and called the march “politically motivated.” He has also warned that action would be taken against the Congress workers for violation of Covid-19 guidelines.
The march – titled ‘namma neeru, namma hakku, or ‘our water, our right’ – was led by Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, Siddaramaiah and state Congress chief DK Shivakumar, who said “there is no corona… no disease (in Ramnagara district, where the padyatra was flagged off)”.
“We are walking for water. The BJP government wants to stop us… but there is no coronavirus, no disease here. They simply imposed Section 144 (to ban large gatherings) and said no one can enter this area,” Shivakumar said. He claimed that there were only 22 cases of Covid in the entire Ramnagara district but the BJP government was spreading falsehood to stop the Congress “padyatra.”
The Rs 9,000-crore Mekedatu reservoir and drinking water project across the Cauvery river in Karnataka’s Ramanagara district plans to utilise 4.75 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of water for drinking purposes in Bengaluru and neighbouring areas, besides generating 400 MW power. However, Tamil Nadu is opposed to it, saying that it would hamper the interests of the state and deprive its farmers of water for irrigation purposes.
The march – which is scheduled to cover 100 km over its 10 days – began today despite the Karnataka government having ordered a weekend curfew that is in effect till 5 am Monday.
Visuals showed hundreds, possibly thousands, standing shoulder-to-shoulder under the hot sun, listening to political leaders make speeches. During the march itself many disregarded social distancing norms and even fewer wore face masks. And the leaders in the march, who are supposed to show the way to the people, themselves were without masks. As he marched along, Shivakumar was not wearing a face mask either, despite being surrounded by people.
Karnataka has reported over 22,000 COVID-19 cases in the past 72 hours and Ramnagara district recorded 28 new cases on Saturday. The district administration had earlier served notice to Shivakumar asking him not to violate the curfew, but the Congress leader dismissed the request and vowed to press on with the programme.
Shivakumar claimed that over 100 MLAs and 200 ex-MLAs and ministers, as well as actors and religious leaders, were either participating in the march or had offered their support and that the ruling BJP was using the threat of COVID-19 to stifle the opposition and people’s concerns.
“It will not happen. They (the BJP government) are only trying to create (fear). There is no spread of any disease here… when the Chief Minister conducted an oath in the banquet hall there were more than 5,000 people. It didn’t spread there… why should it spread here?” Shivakumar asked.
Questioning the motive behind the march, Bommai said, “During the coalition government (when the Congress and JDS were in power), Shivakumar was Water Resources Minister… there was no initiation from his side then. There were no discussions brought to the table…” he pointed out. “There are legal hurdles which we are clearing and despite being aware of it, the Congress is trying to do this march only for political gains. We have already issued notice and government officials have also informed them in person. We will take action accordingly,” Bommai said.
Rajya Sabha MP Mallikarjun Kharge launched the march at Sangama, the confluence of Cauvery and Arkavathi rivers. On the first day, it will cover 15 km to reach Doddalahalli, the native village of Shivakumar. The 179-km march from Mekedatu to Bengaluru is set to cover 15 assembly constituencies before culminating with a public meeting at the Basavanagudi grounds in the state capital on January 19.
Thousands of party workers took part in the march on the first day with many of them not wearing masks and a lunch was organised for the participants. The padyatra is considered to be a game-changer for Congress ahead of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the state assembly polls.
Considered to be the mastermind behind the padyatra, Shivakumar said it was being conducted for the welfare of the people of Bengaluru, Ramanagara and other districts and it was apolitical.
Meanwhile, the former chief minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy, who had earlier termed the Congress march a “gimmick” has now come up with his own water march, which will be launched on January 26 and cover 51 places along the banks of the rivers in Karnataka till the assembly polls in 2023.
The 10-day Congress march is scheduled to end in Bengaluru, where the Covid positivity rate is over 10 per cent already; the city reported a worrying 7,113 new cases on Saturday.
The country is scrambling to contain a frightening surge in Covid cases over the past few weeks, fuelled, in part, by the more infectious Omicron strain. Karnataka – which reported India’s first two Omicron Covid cases back in December – has 441 cases, behind only Delhi and Maharashtra.