Dharmabad (Nanded, July 17: The controversy created on the Babli dam issue by politicians of both sides is sowing seeds of mutual suspicion and hatred among people of towns and villages along the Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra border.
The visit of the Telugu Desam president, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, and other party MPs and MLAs has created more negative vibes.
However, residents of Dharmabad in Maharashtra and Bidrelli village in Andhra Pradesh claim that there is still no ill-will between them and want politicians to deal with the issue in Delhi and not on the ground.
But the TD leaders’ visit also activated the Babli Sangharsh Committee and the Babli Bachao committee, whose members raised slogans such as “Babu go back.”
The famed Saraswathi Devi temple at Basar, which is 16 km from Dharmabad, unites villagers of both regions. Though the temple attracts people from all over the country, most pilgrims come from villages in Maharashtra. In fact, the Maharashtrian influence is very evident in Basar.
“Why are they creating enmity? We are utilising our share of waters,” said Mr Laxman, a farmer from Dharmabad, while watching the intense slogan shouting on the border, which is divided by a road.
Similarly, Mr Sudarshan of Bidrelli warned that such agitations will only create more hatred among the people of both states. “The issue cannot be solved in our villages and should be taken up at the government level,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra home minister, Mr R.R. Patil and the Nanded MP, Mr Bhaskar Patil, were furious at the Andhra leaders forcing their way into Babli.
“Mr Naidu is raking up the Babli issue for political gain,” they said. “The Babli issue is pending in the Supreme Court. It has to be decided there. We have done nothing wrong.”