Karuna rakes up 5-decade old demand on Mullaperiyar Dam

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Reviving a more than five-decade-old demand in the light of Kerala's stand over Mullaperiyar Dam, DMK on Thursday said Devikulam and Peermedu taluks, where the reservoir is located, belonged to Tamil Nadu and urged the Centre to take steps to restore them to the state.

"Kerala government is forcing us to press for retrieval of Devikulam and Peermedu which historically and geographically belonged to Tamils and Tamil Nadu," DMK chief M Karunanidhi said in a statement amidst the row over the Mullaperiyar Dam.

While the Supreme Court appointed Committee headed by Justice A S Anand was going into the issue, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy was insisting on building a new dam in place of the 116-year old reservoir besides settling the issue through talks, he said.

Karunanidhi noted that the demand for retrieving Peermedu, where the dam is constructed, and Devikulam, under which the dam's catchment area falls, was raised by DMK founder and late chief minister C N Annadurai way back in January, 1956 on the eve of harvest festival Pongal.

Tracing the history, the 88-year old DMK patriarch said Mullaperiyar Dam construction site of Peermedu and Devikulam were under the rule of Tamil kings Pandyas in 12th century. "Despite these facts, by mistake these areas were considered under the Travancore Princely state and an agreement was signed in 1886", he said.