Movement launched for bifurcation of Tamil Nadu

The demand to divide the state into north Tamil Nadu and south Tamil Nadu along river Cauvery, which flows across the state, had been raised by leaders of the All India Moovendar Munnetra Kazhagam founder N Sethuraman and Vanniyar Peravai President A K Natarajan.

Talking to reporters in Chennai on Tuesday, they said the 'North and South Tamil Nadu Movement' would soon organise a consultative meeting in Chenai, in which leaders demanding separate states across the country would participate.

Campaigns would also be launched at grassroots level across the state to mobilise people's support for the bifurcation of Tamil Nadu, Sethuraman said.

He said demands for new states such as Telengana in Andhra Pradesh, Vidharbha in Maharashtra and trifurcation of Uttar Pradesh had gone down well with politicians in the country.

The leaders said the population explosion in Chennai, the state capital, had led to several difficulties like traffic congestion, drinking water shortage, environmental pollution and lack of space to live in the metropolis.

The fruits of globalisation and industrialisation had not been enjoyed by people of other parts of the state as major industries had been set up only in and around Chennai.