Union Home Minister Amit Shah's speech at a rally in Hubballi village near Belagavi has stirred up another wave of anguish and emotion over Mhadei in Goa as Opposition leaders and activists pulled out their daggers of devotion and solidarity to save what is commonly referred to as "mother".
Shah commended the Karnataka chief minister for resolving the issue "in consultation with the Goa government". He flaunted BJP's effort to get the diversion process going by clearing the contentious revised Detailed Project Report (DPR) and launched a scathing attack on Congress. Back home, the Goa government was left gasping for answers.
The politics behind Mhadei just got murkier. Only a fortnight ago, a government delegation led by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had flown to Delhi and interacted with Shah on the vexed issue. Sawant claimed that the team members put forth Goa's concerns on how diversion would affect the State. The CM had also disclosed that Shah assured them to look into the matter.
Cut into the present, and Shah appears to have caught Goans off guard. How do Goans comprehend a situation where the Union Home Minister, a seemingly all-powerful master strategist and decision-maker of the BJP, announces that Mhadei is a done deal against a low-on-confidence Sawant who is hanging on to a thin thread of hope by saying "not a drop of Mhadei will be lost"?
As much as Shah's statement reeks of an over-exuberant electoral promise, it exposes the scant respect that the Central leadership has for the State leaders. This is against the background that Sawant and his team are fighting a growing opposition with their backs to the wall. By stating that the issue is resolved through a consensus with the BJP in Goa, Shah has pushed the Goa government entirely on the back foot.
The irony is that Sawant hasn't contested Shah's claim, and probably party protocol restrains him. However, two other cabinet colleagues — Subash Shirodkar and Nilesh Cabral have refuted the statements in Hubballi, stating that there was no Karnataka-Goa consultation, although these lukewarm negations don't qualify as voices of dissent.
The understanding from Shah's controversial statement is that the Centre's interest is in Karnataka, given the electoral fortunes at stake there. In holding out such an assurance, Shah has shown how significant this belt is for the party while also indicating that the BJP high command will not concede to Goa's request for the withdrawal of DPR.
Another glaring aspect of Shah's fierce talk was that he trumpeted bringing Mhadei water to the Karnataka farmers. The catch is that Shah inadvertently admitted that the water diversion is for the farmers, against the case made out by the State for drinking purposes.
The Mhadei issue will stir emotions in Goa, even as Karnataka seeks forest and wildlife clearances and faces a legal challenge. Meanwhile, Goa will have to ensure that it has the issue well covered before the Supreme Court and, at the same time, should press for the constitution of the Water Management Authority. Should Goa lose its way, the Authority could be the last resort to ensure that necessary checks and balances on water sharing are in place.
