The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Tamil Nadu needs a new deal: Vaiko

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Sep 16, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu needs a new deal: Vaiko

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, SEPT. 16. The Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary, Vaiko, tonight called for a new deal for Tamil Nadu.

"Tamil Nadu is in the grip of acute water scarcity. Farmers are under severe economic distress because they are not able to do farming. So, the needs of agriculturists should be met first. Interlinking of rivers is one of the solutions," he said, addressing a public meeting held on the Island Grounds here to mark the culmination of his 1,025-km-long Tirunelveli-Chennai renaissance walk.

The Sethusamudram project would completely transform the economy of the State by generating employment opportunities. Such schemes, Mr Vaiko said, would accelerate the development process in Tamil Nadu, which was now "plagued by increasing unemployment."

Call to Centre

Blaming the Karnataka Government for `denying' to Tamil Nadu its share of Cauvery water for years, the MDMK general secretary suggested that the Centre declare inter-State rivers national rivers. He also wanted the Centre to restrain Karnataka from implementing a multicrore irrigation scheme, which, he said, would harm the interests of Tamil Nadu.

Mr Vaiko spoke for a little over two hours from 10. 50 p.m.

The chairman of the MDMK presidium, L. Ganesan, said his party had taught a lesson to the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, by completing the renaissance walk successfully.

The Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu , N. Ram, said though he differed with Mr Vaiko on the Sri Lankan issue, he criticised the arrest of the MDMK leader under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. One of the reasons why the legislation got discredited was the arrest of Mr Vaiko, he said.

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