Violence in Tamil Nadu and Kerala over Mullaperiyar Dam row

CHENNAI/KOCHI: The concern about a likely breach of the 116-year-old Mullaperiyar dam on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border was on Wednesday overshadowed by the bigger concern about a likely breach of relations between the two states as disruptive developments in both the states threatened to widen their disagreement over the dam.

While stones were allegedly pelted at Sabarimala pilgrims travelling to Kerala, shops owned by Keralites were targeted in Tamil Nadu.

In Chennai's central T Nagar shopping area, an eatery and some jewellery shops owned by Keralites were targeted on Wednesday. There were also stone throwing incidents at a bakery and a tea shop run by Keralites in Saidapet area.

Meanwhile, the security has been stepped up in the city.

The violence was also reported from Coimbatore against shops owned by Keralites. The display shelves of KR Bakes near the Coimbatore railway station were broken in the attack by a gang, while some others shouted slogans in front of three jewellery outlets that are headquartered in Kerala.

Chief minister Jayalalithaa Jayaram cautioned against any move that would jeopardise the goodwill between the two states, and appealed to Keralites not to succumb to the machinations of "mischief mongers".

Kerala's Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan, who observed a day's fast at Vandiperiyar in Idukki district on the issue, also appealed to the Tamil Nadu government not to do anything that would put the lives of Keralites at stake.

"Don't kill us, who have been supplying water to you for over a century," Achuthanandan appealed to Tamil Nadu leaders.

He appealed to the people in Kerala and Tamil Nadu to maintain calm and asked them to shun violence and aggression. The Left Democratic Front in Kerala has proposed to hold a 'human chain' to push for an early resolution of the dam issue.

Kerala is pushing for a new dam in place of Mullaperiyar, while Tamil Nadu opposing the idea.

The agreement that was made between the erstwhile Travancore and the Madras Presidency provides for water to be supplied from Mullaperiyar dam to Tamil Nadu for 999 years. Interestingly, Tamil Nadu's Theni, Madurai, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram and Dindigul districts are the beneficiaries of water supplied from Mullaperiyar dam, and the vegetables grown in these districts largely find their way into the markets in Kerala.