The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : High time Delhi ties got off the ground

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 14, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

High time Delhi ties got off the ground

By V. Jayanth

CHENNAI, SEPT. 13. It has been four months since Manmohan Singh assumed office as Prime Minister, heading a Congress-led coalition. But there has still been no occasion for the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, to meet him. The Prime Minister was slated to visit Chennai late last month to participate in a couple of meetings, particularly at Kalpakkam. Ms. Jayalalithaa had an appointment to call on him at the Raj Bhavan. But his visit was put off.

There has been a persistent campaign that the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) Government is not doing enough for Tamil Nadu and that it has failed to protect the State's interests. In particular, the Opposition parties have been pointing to the fact that the Chief Minister has not visited New Delhi since the United Progressive Alliance came to power.

Aside from mere formalities, the Tamil Nadu Government has run up quite a few problems with either the Centre or the neighbouring States which need to be sorted out. There is a growing realisation that relations between New Delhi and Chennai — at least at the government level — will have to improve.

It is being pointed out, both in the ruling party and official circles, that during the National Democratic Alliance regime, the ties were better though the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its allies were part of the NDA. "Perhaps the personal equations between the Chief Minister and some of the top BJP leaders helped to offset the influence of the DMK and its allies at that point of time.

Now, there appears to be no window of opportunity to bring about even an official, professional relationship between the Centre and the State," explains a former Chief Secretary.

Anti-Sonia campaign

The reasons may not be far to seek. Ms. Jayalalithaa, by her sustained, personalised campaign against the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, has damaged the prospects of a "working relationship" with the Congress-led Government, in which the DMK and its allies are major partners. It is in this environment that a suggestion has been made that she visit Delhi and break the ice with at least the Prime Minister.

Tamil Nadu has a host of problems, which need to be addressed by the Centre. For the State Government, getting the new Secretariat project off the ground may be the first priority, though the matter is before court.

The Cauvery dispute has defied a solution, or even a "sympathetic understanding" by the Centre and Karnataka. Officials consider it "unfortunate" that the State has to shuttle between the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and the Supreme Court to secure its "legitimate rights." They would like the Centre to take the initiative, convene the Cauvery River Authority and ensure that Karnataka releases some water to Tamil Nadu to sustain the paddy crop now being raised.

Though the Government knows that there can be no significant improvement in the equations with Delhi, the expectation is that at least a government-to-government relationship can be established to keep things moving. A meeting between the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister is considered a starting point for this exercise.

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