Cauvery: Rajinikanth wants CSK players to wear black badges during IPL 2018

Led by Rajnikanth, Kamal Haasan and Illayaraja, the Tamil film fraternity by on Sunday came together for a silent protest against the logjam in the setting up of the Cauvery Management Board.

Earlier, Rajinikanth told reporters that Chennai Super King players should wear black badges in support of Tamil farmers so that the country comes to know about their plight and the significance of the Cauvery issue. 

Owing to the geographic peculiarities of the State, Tamil Nadu has been dependent on water from the rivers in Karnataka and Kerala for a long time now. The dispute between Tamil Nadu and these two states also has a long history.

Differences between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka on sharing of water in the Cauvery river, which is one of the main sources of water for irrigation in the agricultural lands of the Cauvery delta, have been in existence from the time of two agreements signed during the period of British government ruling the country.

Here are top 10 developments in the Cauvery Management Board issue:

1. Tamil film fraternity observe silent protest

Tamil film fraternity led by veteran actors-turned-politicians Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth on Sunday observed a silent protest demanding the setting up of a Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee. Leading actors, movie and music directors and other technicians participated in the protest. Among those present were music directors Illayaraja, Shankar-Ganesh, actors Surya, Vijay, Vishal, Prashanth and others.

2. CSK players should wear black badges: Rajnikanth

Earlier, speaking to reporters outside his residence, Rajinikanth said the central government will earn the wrath of Tamil Nadu people if the CMB and CWRC were not set up.

He also said the players of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) should wear black badges while playing the Indian Premier League (IPL) match here so that the issue was known throughout the nation.

He said the spectators too should wear black badges.

3. Vedanta's copper plant targeted

The protesting film fraternity also opposed the operation of copper smelter plant of the Vedanta group in Tuticorin. 

On the Sterlite copper smelter plant of Vedanta group, Rajinikanth said the five elements -- air, water, earth, fire and ether/sky or space -- should not be polluted even if it earns crores of revenue.

Chennai Super Kings players celebrate the dismissal of Mumbai Indians' Evin Lewis during the IPL 2018 opening cricket match at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday. Photo: PTI

4. Jaya gave instructions on Cauvery issue from hospital bed

Former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa gave instructions for two hours from her hospital bed on the action to be taken over the Cauvery issue, ex-Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary P Rama Mohana Rao told a panel probing her death. "She spoke with zest on protecting Tamil Nadu's rights on Cauvery," Rao said, adding that her instructions to them covered the stand to be taken in the Supreme Court and arguments to be adduced to get the Centre form the Cauvery Management Board.

5. DMK-led march for Cauvery begins

The first leg of the DMK-led Cauvery Rights Retrieval March began from Mukkombu in this Tamil Nadu district on Saturday.

The march was led by DMK leader M K Stalin. The second leg will start on April 9 from riyallur district so that the march is spread across the whole of Cauvery Delta region.

6. Tamil Nadu CM holds meeting with legal experts, ministers

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami held a meeting on Saturday with legal experts and state ministers, over the court proceedings on Cauvery Management Board (CMB).

The state government had filed a petition before the Supreme Court seeking to initiate contempt proceedings against Centre for not constituting the board within the top court's six-week deadline that ended on March 29.

7. Stalin says Centre should have swung into action

Stalin blamed the State government for waiting until the end of the Supreme Court set March 29 deadline for mounting pressure on the Centre for the constitution of the Cauvery Management Board. The DMK leader who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly said the Centre should have immediately swung into action to implement the "clear and final verdict," of the Supreme Court on the Cauvery issue.

8. Dhinakaran appeals to cricket fans to shun Chennai IPL matches

Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam leader T T V Dhinakaran on Saturday appealed to cricket lovers to shun IPL matches scheduled to be held here to "strengthen the voice of farmers" seeking setting up of the Cauvery Management Board.

9. TN farmers go neck deep in dry river bed, seek CMB

Buried neck deep in the dry river bed with rose garlands, a group of farmers today chose the novel protest to symbolically highlight their plight and demand setting up of the Cauvery Management Board.

Choosing the Cauvery river bank in the temple town of Srirangam, encircled by the river Cauvery and its tributary Kollidam in the heart of the delta region for the protest, the farmers led by P Ayyakannu staged the 'burial protest' for nearly two hours.

10. Tamil Nadu shutdown cripples normal life

Normal life was paralysed in Tamil Nadu on Thursday due to a DMK-called shutdown over the Centre's failure to set up a Cauvery Management Board (CMB).

DMK leader M K Stalin claimed the shutdown as a grand success and said over 10 lakh persons were taken into custody across the state by the police on Thursday and where housed in nearby choultries/wedding halls.