Massive rally on X-Mas day at Marina

CHENNAI: Movement, a Chennai-based Tamil rights group, has called for a massive rally on the Marina, on Christmas day with a view to drawing the attention of the Centre and Indians to the sentiments of the people of Tamil Nadu on the Mullaiperiyar dam issue.In a statement here, Thirumurugan Gandhi of May 17 Movement expressed the fear that the Mullaiperiyar dam might go down the way the Babri Masjid went as the latest discourse in the national media was highly partial to Kerala.Intellectuals, activists and journalists had fallen for the false propaganda against the dam as questions were now being raised on the validity of the Mullaiperiyar agreement with some articles suggesting that the courts had no locus standi in deciding on issues concerning people, he said. Losing the Mullaiperiyar could lead to a situation in which Tamil Nadu would be deprived of its rights over other river waters, Thirumurugan Gandhi said and pointed out that Kerala was still dilly dallying on arriving at an agreement on the sharing of waters for the Parambikulam-Aliyar dam.He said saving the Mullaiperiyar dam was paramount not just to protect the livelihood of the people of Theni-Cumbum region but also to safeguard the overall interest of Tamil Nadu.