KOCHI: The Mullaperiyar dam row, one of the mundane points of contention between Kerala and Tamil Nadu for the past two decades, has now snowballed into a Machiavellian circus of missiles. With strongly worded letters doing the rounds between the two states and the Centre, the controversy has assumed a new dimension.
It all began on December 1, when Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy shot off a letter to Jayalalithaa urging immediate steps to bring down the water level to 120 ft. In the letter, Chandy said, “The water level in the dam is dangerously high. More than 26 tremors have already hit the Mullaperiyar belt in the last five months. Water due to Tamil Nadu in no way will be affected.” He also added that “a situation has come wherein no one can assure that a disaster will not fall upon Mullaperiyar and those living downstream”.
In a lightning response, Jayalalithaa shot back within a day, rejecting Chandy’s arguments on the tremors. Jayalalithaa said, “As per the Indian Meteorological Department data, there have been only four mild tremors in the said period, that too far away from the vicinity of the dam site; the seepage in the dam was not affected.” Referring to the series of strengthening measures undertaken by Tamil Nadu, Jayalalithaa said, “The possibility of the dam breaching due to flood waters and collapsing is not logical since all eventualities have been factored in during the strengthening of the dam.” She also complained about unwarranted provocations from across the border.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on December 2 gave a new dimension to the battle of words, when he wrote to Jayalalithaa against creating ‘undue alarm’. “I am sure that, given goodwill on both sides, an amicable and mutually acceptable solution can be found through a process of dialogue and communication. I have accordingly advised the Ministry of Water Resources to arrange an early meeting between the officials of the two sides to sort out outstanding issues and allay genuine concerns,” the Prime Minister wrote.
On December 5, Jayalalithaa wrote to the Prime Minister seeking deployment of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) citing violent activities at the dam site. She also condemned Kerala government officials for spreading fear and panic. She said, “The current situation of fear and panic-mongering by the Kerala government is beyond comprehension, and requires mature and informed decisions and wise handling at the level of the Prime Minister.” Jayalalithaa had earlier urged the Prime Minister to advise Kerala not to raise the new dam proposal when Tamil Nadu’s petition was pending before the Supreme Court and Empowered Committee.
On December 18, Oommen Chandy dashed off another letter to Jayalalithaa, asking her to ensure safety of Keralites in Tamil Nadu. He wrote, “This is a situation where we have to urgently provide a sense of protection and confidence to our people. I am sure you will act immediately and firmly to contain the situation. I am willing to issue a joint statement with you, urging peace and restraint and promising all kinds of protection.”
As part of the peace initiative, Kerala Opposition Leader V S Achuthanandan also wrote to Tamil Nadu leaders, including Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and former chief minister M Karunanidhi.
Jayalalithaa on her part has taken objection to the Prime Minister maintaining a stoic silence on her letters. In the latest thread of letter missiles, Jayalalithaa has written to the Prime Minister asking him to withdraw plans to draw up a contingency response for the Mullaperiyar dam and downstream areas.