Bandh evokes poor response in DK, Udupi

Buses ply as usual, schools, colleges, banks, hotels too remain  open; A few associations stage symbolic protests

The Karnataka bandh call given by various pro Kannada organisations did not evoke any response in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, on Saturday. However, many organisations, including All College Students’ Union, Cauvery Horata Samithi lent moral support to the cause and organised a symbolic rasta roko and human chain protests.

All business establishments, schools, colleges, petrol bunks, malls and theatres remained open. The buses were plying as usual. Public transport too was unaffected and buses to various places like Puttur, Dharmasthala, Uppinangady, Udupi, Kundapur and Subramanya operated as usual.

The members of Cauvery Horata Samithi, Kannada Rakshana Vedike, Raitha Sangha members took out a procession from Light House Hill to Hampankatta Circle, in protest against the release of water to Tamil Nadu.

The protesters formed a human chain in the Circle and the police arrested the protesters for disrupting the traffic. The police arrested over 100 protesters, for blocking the road.

Speaking on the occasion, Samithi convener S P Changappa said that the State should stop releasing water to Tamil Nadu. “If the State continues to release 9,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu, then the State will become a desert. The Cauvery River Authority’s (CRA) direction was not in the interest of the people of Karnataka. The State has failed to apprise the situation in Karnataka to the Supreme Court and CRA, he said.

All College Students’ Union members shouted slogans against the State and Central governments.

In the meantime, there was mixed response for the bandh call in Puttur. A few shops remained closed throughout the day. As there were very few passengers, a few KSRTC buses did not ply.

The business establishments had voluntarily shut down their business in Subrahmanya.
Leaders from various organisations, staged a protest near Kumaradhara.

The KSRTC buses from outside the district did not reach Subrahmanya. There was decline in the number of devotees visiting Subrahmanya temple too.

Udupi

Supporting the bandh call, a few organisations staged a road block and rally on Saturday. Schools, colleges, banks, government offices functioned as usual. The members of Rajya Raitha Sangha, Jaya Karnataka, Udupi Jilla Nagarika Samithi staged a road block, at Karavali Junction, for 15 minutes. The protesters burnt the tyres and shouted slogans against the Centre and State governments.

Addressing the protesters, Rajya Raitha Sangha Vice-President Vijaykumar Hegde and Jaya Karnataka Udupi district President Diwakar Shetty said that the Centre and the Cauvery River Authority have done injustice to the State government. “There is lack of water for farmers, to carry out agriculture activities. The Cauvery River Authority’s direction to release water to Tamil Nadu is not right,” he said.

The State should stop releasing water to save the interest of the farmers.

Photographers rally

South Kanara Photographers Association, Udupi and Kaup staged a protest in front Clock Tower in Udupi on Saturday.

The members took out a bike rally from Clock Tower to Deputy Commissioner’s office in Manipal. A memorandum was submitted to Deputy Commissioner M T Reju on the occasion.