P C Thomas march to Mullaperiyar flagged off

KOCHI: The Mullaperiyar Shanti Yatra of the Kerala Congress (Anti-merger group) led by chairman P C Thomas, highlighting the need for taking urgent steps to ensure safety for Kerala, was flagged off from here on Monday. The march on foot will conclude at Mullaperiyar on February 16. During the flagging off ceremony, Thomas said that the issue has been given up by most of the political parties in the state. “Though some parties had taken up the issue, they have now retracted from their stand on the issue. Kerala Congress will keep the issue alive but in a peaceful manner,” he said.Thomas asked Prime Minister to immediately intervene in the issue. He said that an immediate solution was needed on the Mullaperiyar issue as it concerned the safety of about 40 lakh people in the state. “If Mullperiyar dam bursts, five districts in the state will be washed away. Moreover, a few districts in Tamil Nadu will face acute water shortage,” he said.  Accusing the Union ministers from the state of failing to highlight the issue at the Centre, he said the MPs and the Union ministers from Tamil Nadu had always been fighting for the cause. “Even the state Advocate-General’s statement in the High Court that Idukki dam would be able to hold the water of Mullaperiyar in case of a dam burst has boomeranged on the state’s interest,” he said.  Thomas said that there was a need for ensuring the security of Malayalis in Tamil Nadu and Tamils inKerala. He also demanded compensation for those who had lost their valuablesduring the clashes in the name of Mullaperiyar. He said that Tamil Nadu was trying to make tall claims that the Mullaperiyar dam belongs to them. In a recent episode, the Tamil Nadu Assembly had reiterated its stand that it would never compromise on its rights over the Mullaperiyar dam, he noted. Thomas also said that he had approached the Kerala High Court for removing Mullaperiyar, Parambikkulam, Thoonakadav and Peruvaripallam from the list of 108 dams of Tamil Nadu in the National Registry of Large Dams, 2009. Gurumitra Jhanathapasi of Santigiri Ashram handed over the flag to Thomas. Kerala Congress (S) leader Kadannappally Ramachandran, former ministers Surendran Pillai and Jose Thettayil were among those present.