Primarily to protest violence against Tamils in Karnataka, bandh is also aimed at seeking Cauvery water.
Tamil Nadu is bracing today for a dawn-to-dusk shutdown (
bandh) supported by Opposition parties on the Cauvery water dispute, with police deploying thousands of personnel across the state to ensure peace.
The bandh call given by several farmers and traders' bodies, including Tamil Nadu All Farmers' Federations and Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangangalin Peramaippu (a traders' collective), is supported by the main Opposition party DMK, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee, MDMK, PMK, TMC, CPI(M), and CPI. Protesters have also called for rail and road 'rokos'.
Primarily to protest against the violence targeted against Tamils in Karnataka, the bandh is also aimed at seeking Cauvery river water for the state and a final solution to the problem. The ruling AIADMK and trade unions affiliated to it have been non-committal on their participation in the bandh.
After Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote to his Tamil Nadu counterpart J Jayalalithaa,
urging her to ensure protection of Kannada-speaking people in the state, the police said all measures have been taken to ensure peace.
Thousands of police personnel, including armed reserves will be deployed in Chennai and other parts of the state.
Over 15,000 police personnel will be on duty.
Protection was being provided to Karnataka-related business establishments, schools, institutions and areas where Kannada speaking people live, including Krishnagiri district.
Commercial firms, including over 35,000 jewellery and fuel outlets are expected to remain closed. However 'Company Owned and Company Operated Fuel Outlets' of Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Indian Oil will operate, officials said.
Tamil outfits in the union territory of Puducherry have called for a similar bandh today.