God’s Own Jinx

Kerala has reacted to the Mullaperiyar dam dispute with Tamil Nadu in the only way it knows—with bandhs and hartals.

Kerala has reacted to the Mullaperiyar dam dispute with Tamil Nadu in the only way it knows—with bandhs and hartals. People are coming out on the streets irrespective of rain or cold. Idukki district, where the dam is located, has almost been paralysed over the past few days.

KS Bijimol, the local MLA, is also on a hunger strike there. “We are sleeping over a water bomb. We demand immediate action,” he says. Kerala now witnesses hartals every day in different districts. One was even called jointly by the opposition LDF and ruling UDF. Soon after, another hartal was observed in five districts. Is a bandh that inconveniences its own people, while the dispute is with Tamil Nadu, really the best way to go? No one has really thought about that as yet.

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Shahina KK