District admin to make efforts to prevent bandhs

The district administration will meet the representations of organisations if they inform it about calling bandhs at least one week in advance and hold talks with them to solve the issues amicably, to prevent frequent bandhs which affect common people.

This point was made at a meeting here on Friday. District In-charge Minister B Ramanath Rai chaired the meeting convened to discuss about an alternative for bandhs, at the DC’s office Hall here on Friday. He said the bandhs adversely affect the lives of common people and also cause economic loss. Hence, the people and the organisations should develop a bandh-free mindset, he said.

Common venue opposed
The possibility of deciding a common venue for protests, like the Freedom Park in Bengaluru, was also made, but many opposed it.

Rai warned that the generosity of the district administration should not be mistaken as its weakness. The administration is bound to act to the situation and hence, strict action against the law breakers will be inevitable, the minister added.

Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim said forceful bandh is illegal and said the district administration would abide by the Supreme Court order in this regard. One can voluntarily observe the bandh by closing down their shops and business establishments, but cannot force others to close their shops. This will amount to the curtailing the rights of others, he said.

City police Commissioner M Chandra Sekhar said the act of forcibly shutting the shops is not acceptable.

Karnataka Rakshana Vedike spokesperson Rahim Ucchil said the bandh in Dakshina Kannada in connection with Yettinahole project was inevitable because all other modes of requesting the government to stop the project did not yield any results. Hence, bandh was the last option, he said.

VHP leader Jagadish Shenava and others expressed a similar opinion.

Hindu Maha Sabha representative Dharmendra said that ward committees should be formed following the Supreme Court directions. This will help in building communal harmony in the society, he said.

CPM District Secretary Vasanth Achary said bandh is a part of social movement and the party supports it.

The deputy commissioner clarified that the idea behind the prevention of bandhs is not to curtail social movements, but to prevent the disturbances  caused to people by the bandhs.