Mullaperiyar continues to flow quietly even as emotions overflow in the two neighbouring states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Kerala’s demand for a new dam to ensure the safety of millions and its offer to provide not a drop less seems reasonable. Those on the other side of the border, however, do not seem to believe in the bonafides of either the demand or the offer.

If such a tragedy was waiting to happen, why did the Kerala’s leaders only wake up now? And if the Kerala leaders are willing to give it in writing that enough water will be provided, why is Tamil Nadu trying to prevent a dam being built? Isn’t baffling that while all the Kerala leaders are for a dam, all the TN leaders are against it? Why is it that when faced with a complicated issue with so many layers of controversies, not a single Keralite says that there is no need for a dam and not one Tamilian is prepared to support the building of a new one.

When elephants fight, not only the grass suffers but also the entire surroundings. Ayyappa devotees and all those casual labourers who have to come to Kerala will suffer. Similarly, all those Malayalis who live in different parts of Tamil Nadu will now have to live in fear. In fact, the calamity of a clash between the two communities can prove to be bigger than a dam burst.

There was this unconfirmed news that a particular group opposed Rajanikanth casting Asin Thottungal in his new movie because she happens to be a Malayali. Rajani’s daughter quickly denied it, saying it they had never contacted Asin and the news had no basis. There is a hidden danger in this. Is the Rajani camp indirectly saying that they wouldn’t sign any Malayali actor from now on?

Ever since Minister Joseph made his heart-rending pleas about the dam, which in his opinion is a threat to the lives of lakhs and lakhs of people, and also in the wake of Sohan Roy’s movie, Dam 999, many people from the entertainment world in Kerala have been voicing their support for a new dam. Musicians cut special albums, actresses tweeted and rock stars performed to express their solidarity. Ordinary people including college students took out processions and sent mass petitions to the Prime Minister. One question is, can’t we just leave it to the courts and governments to find a solution? Do we really achieve much by taking to the streets other than inflame passions?

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy recently clarified that there was no attempt on the part of his party to create a fear psychosis among the masses, as claimed by Tamil Nadu leaders. There already was a fear among the people, especially those living in the areas surrounding the dam, and it is this fear that the leaders are highlighting.

One of the reasons why people from various walks of life often take to the streets is because of their lack of faith in those whom they themselves have elected and sent to the assemblies and Parlimament. It is such mistrust that is at the root of the Lok Pal movement spearheaded by Anna Hazare. The rise of the filmstar politicians of the south from time to time such as MGR, Jayalalitha, NTR, Rajkumar and Vijayakanth also stem from the same feeling of mistrust of the elected leaders. But what we have seen over the years is that when such people get elected and are pitchforked to the help of political parties, they become essentially no different from the regular class of politicians. If Anna and co finally float a party and get elected, they may become as much a part of the system that they will lose the halo of selflessness.

Coming back to the dam of contention between the two states, we need to remember that the entire Malayalam film industry operated from Chennai not long ago. Of late, Kerala seems to have become self-sufficient in film-making but many of the actors including the superstars still prefer to live in Tamil Nadu. Another problem is, while Malayalis may have learnt finally to make their  own movies, they still can’t grow or produce enough vegetables, chicken, eggs, flowers and many other things on their own. Isn’t there a lesson for Malayalis in this whole controversy? Is the State, blessed as it is with so many water bodies and rains, making full use of nature’s bounty called water?

Did nothing else make news other than Mullperiyar? In Kerala, the big cultural event was the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) and that too was mired in controversy. There were protests after a film, Aadimadhyantham, was excluded from the competitive section and there were reports that the chairman  Priyadarshan, who is the most successful filmmaker to come out of Kerala  had offered to resign. Priyadarshan finally agreed for a compromise  a special screening of the film was allowed. Have we lost the capability to organise any event without a controversy?

The answer is ‘no. An event that went without any major hitch was the State School Athletic Meet that was held in Maharaja’s College ground in Kochi. Ernakulam emerged the best district and Mar Basil HS of Kothamangalam continued its dominance of school-level sports.

How is it that a school replicates success on the sports field year after year, just like some schools maintain a high academic record for decades? Clearly, they follow a schedule and system that is failsafe. Is the government doing anything to study and draw lessons from the Mar Basil experience and try to let everyone benefit from it? The star of the meet was sprinter Jijin Vijayan, who achieved a record double. Going by the performances, the future of the state seems to be bright. But the leaders, busy exploiting sentiments and fears, need to put in place a system to nurture bright talents like Jijin