Poor response to bandh call across 13 districts of North Karnataka

Hubballi: The call for a bandh in 13 districts given by the Uttar Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangh for separate statehood for North Karnataka region evoked a poor response on Thursday.
In Hubballi, normal life was not affected with schools, colleges, banks, petrol bunks and public transport services functioning normally. It was supported by most farmers and pro-Kannada organizations. NWKRTC buses plied as usual. A few protesters protested at Rani Chennamma Circle and submitted a memorandum to the tahsildar. Protesters said the bandh is just the beginning of the movement for a separate state. The Sangh district unit president Virupakshappa Kallimani, Shadakshari Swamiji of Navachetan Rajya Vidyashrama in Siddharoodhmath, Nagesh Golashetti, Shantamma Gaddi, and others took the lead in the protest.

Police had made elaborate arrangements to prevent any untoward incident. Government offices were open but visitors were fewer compared to other days.

In Dharwad, the call to protest against injustice meted out to North Karnataka region did not cut ice with citizens as life remained normal. Various organizations demonstrated in front of the deputy commissioner’s office and demanded development of the region.

Members of the Karnataka Nava Nirmana Sene staged a sit-in protest near the Karnataka Vidyavardhaka Sangha and demanded justice for North Karnataka districts. They said their organisation had been the prime mover of the movement for unification of Kannada-speaking areas into Karnataka and people like Alur Venkatrao and Ra Ha Deshpande had struggled for it.

“We won’t support the demand for dividing Karnataka as unification came after a long struggle. We have the right for our due share in power and development and we’ll demand it. The state government will not be doing us a favour by giving us our due,” Sene leaders said.

The farmers and social activists, members of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, Karnataka Jana Rakshana Vedike and other organizations submitted a memorandum addressed to the chief minister to the deputy commissioner. Schools and colleges, banks, government offices and business establishments functioned as usual. There was no disruption in public transport and police ensured there was no untoward incident.

In Haveri, North Karnataka Separate Statehood Movement Samiti state president Somashekhar Kotambari was dismissed from the post by office-bearers for giving a statement on Wednesday about withdrawing the bandh. Samiti members appointed advocate V F Kattegouda as the new president and later protested. However, the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (Narayanagouda wing) Haveri district unit strongly opposed separate statehood for North Karnataka and stressed for a unified state.

Police arrested four persons collecting signatures and mobilising public opinion to change the name of Hyderabad-Karnatak region as Kalyana Karnataka at Sardar Vallabhai Patel Circle in Kalaburagi.

There was no response from the people of Bidar, Kalaburagi and Yadagiri districts.

Sharanu Gadduge president of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike appreciated businessmen and street vendors for keeping their establishments open and not supporting the bandh call by giving them shawls and roses.

The bandh a flop show in Davanagere, Vijayapura, Ballari, Gadag, Koppal and others parts of North Karnataka. In Ballari and Davanagere, some pro-Kannada organisations protested and sought overall development of North Karnataka rather than separate statehood.