Now Reading: TN CM Vijay calls for cooperative federalism at southern zonal council meet
-
01
TN CM Vijay calls for cooperative federalism at southern zonal council meet
TN CM Vijay calls for cooperative federalism at southern zonal council meet
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Thursday called for stronger cooperation between southern states and the Centre, saying shared economic interests and natural resources should unite states rather than divide them. Speaking at the 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting in Mahabalipuram, Vijay said strong states make a stronger India and reaffirmed his commitment to working with the Union government and other states. The meeting was chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Water disputes, especially the Cauvery river sharing and the Mullaperiyar dam, dominated discussions. Vijay demanded timely implementation of Supreme Court orders on Cauvery water release and insisted the Mullaperiyar dam water level be raised to 152 feet as per court rulings. Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar defended the proposed Mekedatu project, saying it would benefit three states and urged a shift from water sharing to water cooperation. Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu proposed linking the Godavari and Cauvery rivers as a long-term solution.
Shivakumar also urged the council to pass a resolution asking the Centre to use the 1971 Census as the basis for delimitation and retain the existing 543 Lok Sabha seats for the next 25 years. He said southern states should not be punished for controlling their population. Shah said the delimitation issue was political and should not be mixed with the council's deliberations.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The Times of India's framing leads with Vijay's cooperative federalism pitch, positioning him as a constructive statesman. The Federal's two pieces focus on the underlying tensions: one notes there was no formal one-on-one meeting between Vijay and Shivakumar because the Cauvery matter is sub judice, while the other highlights Shivakumar's defence of Mekedatu and his delimitation demand that Shah promptly deflected as political. Together they reveal a meeting heavy on polite rhetoric but light on resolution. The measured takeaway: water disputes remain the central fault line, and the delimitation question is now on the table as a political flashpoint between southern states and the Centre.
What to watch: whether the Union government responds formally to the delimitation resolution if the council passes it, and whether the CWMA's next scheduled meeting yields a concrete Cauvery water-sharing plan.
Coverage: 3 sources, 3 neutral
Sources (3): timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report), thefederal.com (neutral report), thefederal.com (2) (neutral report)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above. Methodology and corrections.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
