THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As Kerala has slowed down in its clamour on the Mullaperiyar dam issue in the backdrop of a violent backlash against Keralites in Tamil Nadu and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s attempt to prevail upon Tamil Nadu for talks, confusion has gripped all around including political parties.The apolitical Samara Samithi which had been spearheading the agitation for the past five years is also in a crisis with the ouster of Prof C P Roy from the chairmanship of Mullaperiyar Samara Samithi.While the demand of Kerala for a new dam had been sidelined by the national political leadership as Tamil Nadu keeps opposing it tooth and nail and insists on a final court order on the issue, the political parties here are struggling for a face-saving formula.The one-month lull in stirs on the Mullaperiyar issue by Kerala’s political parties has already resulted in mild tremors and aftershocks within the Kerala Congress (M), with Congress leaders privately criticising that the KC(M) had exceeded limits in the agitation at the very onset.It is another matter that the Congress and even major Left political parties have been forced to up their ante after the blitzkrieg of Water Resources Minister P J Joseph on the issue. The KC(M)is reportedly adopting a wait and watch attitude and the party steering committee meeting recently resolved not to lower the tempo on the issue. “Kerala is able to protect Mullaperiyar,” underscored P J Joseph, reacting to Tamil Nadu’s firm no for talks with Kerala. “We’ll meet again on January 14 or 15. We cannot go back on the issue,” a senior leader hinted.However, the ambivalent stance of all national political parties on the Mullaperiyar issue was expressed by none other than Defence Minister A K Antony, pointing out that none had been able to suggest an acceptable formula so far. One intriguing aspect was the decision of Prof C P Roy to write to the Prime Minister stating a solution that a water channel would be enough instead of a new dam. “Let us think about a solution instead of precipitating the issue. Let all discuss it. If acceptable, this would help in opening a new chapter in the relationship between the two states,’’ he had said. “For a person who was chairman of the samithi for the past five years, a sudden shift and that too without discussing it in the organisation is nothing but deceit and backstabbing. He is playing into the hands of Tamil Nadu and his actions are suspect,” charged Dr Joy Nirappel, long- time associate of Prof Roy.Joy had replaced Roy as chairman after the latter was ousted from the samithi. The tussle between P J Joseph and government chief whip P C George had also come out in the open with the latter demanding all who had promoted hype on Mullaperiyar should provide proper answers to the public.There is a feeling that George is being supported by the Congress to create fissures in the KC.
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