Karnataka - Mysore   

Taking up the cudgels for Cauvery

Staff Correspondent

ANSWERING QUERIES: The four `padayatris' describing their journey to students in Mysore. — Photo: M.A. Sriram

MYSORE: Four Bangalore-based students, aged between 13 and 16, are on a padayatra from Talacauvery in Kodagu, where the Cauvery originates, to Bangalore to protest against the final verdict of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.

While others are enjoying their vacation, Vinod Rao Vanse, Janardhan Rao Sindhia, Nagendra and K. Niranjan Rao Kadam started their padayatra on April 9. They plan to cover 500 km on foot in 15 days. They reached Mysore on Sunday via Bhagamandala, Madikeri, Kushalnagar, Periyapatna, Hunsur and Srirangapatna.

Before continuing their trek to Bangalore, they participated in a programme at the Chinnara Mela at Kalamandir here and explained the reasons for their mission. They were dressed in red shorts and yellow shirts.

Though tired after trekking the entire day, they answered queries from excited children their age.

Niranjan Rao, who is heading the team, said, "Being an avid reader of newspapers, I learned that injustice had been done by the tribunal to Karnataka. Pained by this, I decided to create awareness among the people about the injustice with this padayatra from Talacauvery to Bangalore. Vinod Rao, Janardhan Rao and Nagendra agreed to join me. We asked our parents, and they encouraged us to go ahead."

He said that they were trekking nearly 25 to 30 km a day.

They cooked for themselves and stayed in government guesthouses at night.

They were given a standing ovation at the end of the programme.

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