Tamil Nadu: Self-immolation bid adds fire to bandh

The Cauvery water sharing issue is close enough to claiming a life in Tamil Nadu as a critical 21-year-old Vignesh was battling for life after suffering 93 per cent burns after he tried to commit self-immolation. The youth, from Mannargudi in the Cauvery delta, was part of a procession protesting the attacks on Tamils in Karnataka that was winding along Langs Garden road in Pudupet when he set himself ablaze.

Rail roko, which is being planned by some political outfits as part of the Cauvery bandh calling for the formation of the Cauvery Management Board and to protest the attacks against Tamils in Karnataka, may be met with strict policing in Chennai on Friday when the city police will be out in full force, particularly in the wake of Supreme Court strictures against Tamil Nadu and Karnataka on Thursday in a public interest writ filed by a person from Kanyakumari.

The recent Cauvery events have raised public awareness and Chennaiites were busy preparing themselves for bandh day, buying vegetables and groceries and filling up petrol in their vehicles.

Most markets were crowded on Thursday with women buying vegetables and flowers for pooja as the bandh day, besides being a Friday, also happens to be a full moon day.

Auto driver unions said their vehicles would be off the road. All major auto unions, in a joint statement, said about two and half lakh auto rickshaws would not ply.

They join the list of omni buses and lorries who will also be off the road. The number of government buses plying is also likely to be seriously hit as most of the leading transport unions appealed to their members to join the agitation.

Cinema theatres have cancelled at least the morning and matinee shows while the film industry is showing solidarity with the Cauvery cause by suspending all scheduled shooting on Friday. About 4,300 traders will down shutters in Koyambedu while around 21 lakh shops are expected to be shut around the state, besides all the small hotels and restaurants.

Milk vendors, who had earlier said they would support the bandh, clarified that they would restrict themselves to moral support. They said milk would be available as it comes under essential services. Pharmacist bodies also came out with a similar statement about essential services.

Most private schools announced a holiday following appeals by their associations, but government schools would function as usual. Private vans fetching school children, besides those carrying workers of IT and other companies would not operate on Friday.

DMDK leader Vijayakanth and TNCC president S. Thirunavukkarasar extended their support and said their cadre would participate in the agitation. The coordinator of Tamil Nadu farmers unions, P.R. Pandian, asserted that the demonstrations would be peaceful and democratic and appealed to the police to cooperate in the bandh.