'Marathi imposition': K’taka bandh evokes mixed response

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The dawn-to-dusk Karnataka bandh called by Kannada Okkuta, an umbrella organisation representing various pro-Kannada groups, in protest against the alleged assault on a state-run bus conductor in Belagavi last month for not knowing Marathi, passed off peacefully on Saturday. No untoward incidents were reported from anywhere as elaborate security arrangements were in place across the state, with senior officers monitoring the situation on the ground to prevent any untoward incidents during the bandh. Before the bandh, Home Minister G Parameshwara had appealed to the people to protest peacefully, warning that any attempt to disturb law and order or resort to vandalism would be dealt with an iron hand.

In Bengaluru, protestors were sparse in number at the Freedom Park. Rallies were held at Town hall and Majestic areas and the agitators were detained and sent to Freedom Park. Activists gathered at Mysore Bank Circle raised slogans, holding placards. Protests were also held at the BMTC and KSRTC bus stands in Majestic, urging bus drivers and conductors to support the bandh. As their agitation intensified, police took them into preventive custody. While staging a protest at Majestic, Kannada Chalavali (Vatal Paksha) convener Vatal Nagaraj termed the bandh a ‘success’. He claimed that the bus stands wore a deserted look, many shopkeepers downed their shutters and several autorickshaws stayed off the roads in support of the bandh.

He claimed that over 3,000 Kannada activists were taken into preventive custody on Friday night itself. Nagaraj was detained when he began a protest in front of the Town Hall along with Kannada filmmaker Sa Ra Govindu. The state-owned public transport corporations such as the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) largely remained operational.

According to sources, some autorickshaws, cabs, and private transport unions extended support to the bandh, while others, including hotel associations, malls, bars, and restaurants, chose to stay away, offering only ‘moral support’. Meanwhile, essential services, including pharmacies, hospitals, ambulances, petrol pumps, and metro services, functioned as usual.

Protesters block buses in Mysuru, D’gere: In Mysuru, pro-Kannada activists staged a sit-in protest, blocking buses at the suburban bus stand. They staged a dharna near the exit gate to prevent buses from leaving for Bengaluru and other parts of the state. A few activists were taken into preventive custody after they attempted to stop a KSRTC bus in Mysuru. Similar protests were held in Davanagere, where demonstrators took to the streets, raising slogans.

Bandh peaceful in 'epicentre' Belagavi: As per sources, though KSRTC buses operated as usual in Belagavi, the movement of buses from Maharashtra to this border city in north Karnataka was restricted as it remains the centre of the linguistic row. Besides the attack on a bus conductor in Balekundri, panchayat officials of Kinaye village in Belagavi were recently abused for not speaking Marathi. The accused in both incidents had been taken into custody. Located on the Karnataka-Maharashtra border, Belagavi has a substantial Marathi-speaking population, and the border dispute flares up from time to time.

According to officials, police in various districts deployed home guards along with the personnel of City Armed Reserve units as a precautionary measure to ensure that the bandh passed off peacefully and did not cause inconveniences to the public. Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda had warned of legal action against those who were found coercing people into participating in the bandh. He stated that 60 Karnataka State Reserve Police platoons, 1,200 home guards, and the entire civil and traffic police force were deployed in Bengaluru as a precautionary measure.

Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar urged people to maintain peace and follow the law. "We will protect the interests of the state. Everyone should maintain peace and abide by the law. However, I feel there is no need for a bandh," he told reporters on Friday. According to Bengaluru Deputy Commissioner Jagadeesha G, no holiday was declared for schools and colleges.