The call for a separate State for North Karnataka is gathering steam with a newly-formed entity planning to hold a bandh on August 2 to force the Centre to accede to their demand.
The latest trigger for the demand arises out of poor representation in the State cabinet of the Janata Dal Secular (JDS)-Congress coalition government and minimum allocation for the region in the recently-announced budget. A spokesperson for the newly-formed entity, Uttar Karnataka Pratyeka Rajya Horata Samiti (North Karnataka separate statehood agitation committee), said the bandh call is applicable to 13 districts in North Karnataka and backed by similar organisations in the region.
The call for a separate statehood came from the president of the Samiti, Somashekhar Kotambri, who told reporters in Hubballi in North Karnataka recently that apart from setting up Suvarna Vidhana Soudha (government building where Assembly session is held once in a year) in 2006 at Belagavi, little has been done. The budgetary allocation for major irrigation projects has been negligible, he added.
“There has been a total neglect of North Karnataka region in the recent State budget presented by Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy. This has angered us a lot and the people, organisations, including those of farmers,” Kotambri said. In addition to neglect in the Budget, Samiti also expressed anger over the delay in resolving the long-pending Mahadayi river water-sharing row between Karnataka and Goa. Kotambri also urged the Prime Minister to immediately intervene and help find a solution.
Chief Minister Kumaraswamy, while addressing a rally in Channapatna on Wednesday, said, “will they be able to generate revenues to complete major irrigation projects in the region if separate State is formed when nearly 65 per cent of revenue in the State is generated by Bengaluru.”
‘Hidden hand’ seen
Political pundits see a pattern and hidden hand in the sudden uprising in north Karnataka and the bandh call. Ever since the coalition government came to power, the Ministry formation has seen power balance tilt towards south Karnataka.
The power balance tilt has left north Karnataka, coastal and Hyderabad Karnataka under represented. For the ministerial berth, many senior Congress leaders missed the bus. It is these disgruntled senior leaders’ hand which is being suspected for the sudden uprising and bandh call in north Karnataka.
Reacting to the bandh call in north Karnataka, Congress party Karnataka unit president Dinesh Gundu Rao said: “Congress party stands for all-round development of every region in the State and there has not been any denial of what is due for northern districts in the coalition government.” But people need to be patience as the coalition government has just taken charge and all regions’ aspirations would be met, he said.
Referring to discrepancy in providing suitable representation to senior party leaders, Rao said: “Yes, there has been some discrepancy in ministry formation. It will be corrected during the Cabinet expansion, which is likely to take place shortly.”