Farmers trying to enter border town dispersed

Thiruvananthapuram: Tension at the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border near the Mullaperiyar dam heightened further on Monday with hundreds of Tamil Nadu farmers making an abortive bid to march on the nearest Kerala town of Kumily. Hundreds of Tamil Nadu police had to resort to a lathi charge to disperse them.

They also tried to force their way into the Kerala town on Sunday during the ban imposed on both sides of the border in view of the violence. Later they stoned several houses and damaged the property of Malayali families.

Transport on either side has been crippled for a week or so. The price of essentials has started soaring in Kerala. The state sources nearly 70 per cent of its vegetables, milk, meat, egg and provisions from Tamil Nadu.

Hunger strike

Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (DMK), the main opposition party in Tamil Nadu yesterday observed a huger strike in the state demanding the water level at the dam be raised to 142ft immediately and the protection of the dam be handed over to the paramilitary forces.

Meanwhile, Kerala decided to send an all-party delegation headed by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Opposition leader V.S Achuthanandan to Delhi to press the state's demand that it be permitted to construct a new dam in place of the 116-year old dam.

The Opposition Left Democratic Front at an emergency meeting here yesterday conceded the chief minister's request to send the Opposition leader and leaders of other parties in the front along with the UDF delegation which he will lead to Delhi.