Controversy continues

Sir— The Mullaperiyar dam in central Kerala has become the bone of contention between Tamil Nadu and Kerala (“If it is 999, it must be our dam”, Nov 24). The 116-year-old dam has withstood a number of natural disasters, which have left it weakened. The newly-made movie, DAM999, has added fuel to the fire of controversy already raging over the dam. Tamil Nadu’s politicians claim that the movie, produced and directed by a Malayali businessman, backs Kerala’s position on the Mullaperiyar dam.

They fear that the scenes of destruction caused by the dam depicted in the movie will capture the imagination of Keralites, thereby instigating them to protest against Tamil Nadu’s plans to increase the height of the dam to collect more water. Shashi Tharoor, who represents Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram in the Lok Sabha, has tweeted that if the dam bursts, it will claim lakhs of lives. So it must be replaced.

The enormous pressure exerted by the waters of the Periyar may well burst the walls of the dam. Tamil leaders must not be blind to the seriousness of the issue because of the benefits their state gets from the dam. The issue has been simmering for quite a long time, leading to diplomatic wrangles. The dam is operated by the government of Tamil Nadu in accordance with the conditions of a lease of 999 years signed between the erstwhile British government of the Madras presidency and the maharajah of Travancore (in Kerala) in 1886 which gave the British the right to divert the waters of the dam to the British territory. It is not difficult to find the catch in this deed — it was meant to keep the British rulers well supplied with water at the cost of the princely state of Travancore. How can we justify the conditions of the treaty today? The Tamil Nadu assembly must debate the issue for the sake of fairness. Whether the movie gets released or not in Tamil Nadu ultimately, let me state here that there have been movies like An Inconvenient Truth (2006) or 2012 (2009) which have, even if in a hyperbolic way, highlighted the ecological disasters that the world may face in future. These movies have helped people wake up from the complacent slumber they were in. What is wrong if a movie throws light on an issue which might not otherwise be discussed? The film may even inspire the two states to work out a modus vivendi on the subject so that common people do not suffer in case the dam collapses.

Yours faithfully,
Kanishka Pathak, Dhanbad

Sir— Sohan Roy’s film, DAM999, has run into controversy and has been banned by the Tamil Nadu government. This is bound to create bad blood. Shot in 3D, the movie seems to support the consistent stand maintained by Kerala’s politicians for decades that a watery grave awaits lakhs of people living in the four downstream districts of Kerala unless the Mullaperiyar dam is immediately demolished and rebuilt.

DAM999 has become a godsend for Kerala’s politicians and its media. Both have used the film to whip up more panic on the subject. However, freedom of speech and expression is the fundamental right of all citizens. Roy is well within his rights when he articulates the fear of the people who live in the catchment areas.

Yours faithfully,
J.S. Acharya, Hyderabad

Sir— Does Tamil Nadu not know the poor state the Mullaperiyar dam is in? If Kerala is not against supplying water to Tamil Nadu in future, why are Tamil politicians opposing the construction of a new dam? Political leaderships in both the states have failed miserably in settling the issue without drawing the people of Kerala out on the streets. It is not easy to construct a new dam to replace the old one that will start serving its purpose overnight. What is needed is to keep the water level of the existing dam as low as possible.

Yours faithfully,
K.A. Solaman, Alappuzha, Kerala