<p>Hubballi/Dharwad: After a gap of several years, Hubballi witnessed an almost total bandh on Thursday, with most of the commercial establishments remaining closed, local bus service being suspended, </p><p>most schools declaring holiday, and the central business district of the City totally shut. The situation was same in Dharwad also.</p><p>The 12-hour bandh called by Samvidhan Shilpi Dr B R Ambedkaravara Swabhimani Abhimani Anuyayigala Balaga (SC/ST, Backward Classes, Minorities Unity Forum) was a typical one like those during Mahadayi agitation and other earlier occasions in Hubballi, with Chennamma Circle being the epicentre, and protesters from other areas joining there as the day progressed. Though the bandh was intensive in market places and Old Hubballi areas, majority of shops were shut even in residential areas, especially those on main roads.</p><p>Condemning Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement about Dr B R Ambedkar and demanding to sack him from the Union cabinet, members of Dalit organisations began protests early in the morning. With that, the NWKRTC suspended the services of BRTS and city buses. Bendre buses also remained off roads, while movement of autorickshaws was limited to city outskirts, as autorickshaw drivers’ associations had also extended support to the bandh.</p><p>Though two-wheelers and cars were moving, their number of comparatively less.</p><p>Market places like Koppikar Road, Janata Bazaar, Durgadabail and Old Hubballi were without business, as shop-keepers had downed shutters. Hotels were also not open in most of the areas in and around the city centre. Most of the schools had declared holiday, but some colleges opened though with very few students.</p><p>Banks and government offices were functioning, but with very less visitors. Hospitals, medical shops, milk booths and some petrol pumps were open as usual.</p><p>Day-to-day activities returned to normalcy only in evening, when buses started moving and shops opened.</p><p><strong>Hotels, eateries closed</strong></p><p>As hotels were closed, a large number of people had food at mass feeding centres of Siddharooda Mutt and other places. Devotees and people from outside the City stood in line from the morning in front of the Siddharoodha Dasoha Bhavan. Some persons also arranged food for destitutes.</p><p><strong>Tight security</strong></p><p>Tight security was arranged across Hubballi-Dharwad city as a precautionary measure. Police personnel were deployed from other districts to ensure security. Around 2,000 security personnel including local police, KSRP and home guards were on bundobust duty. Senior police officers conducted city rounds and inspected the situation.</p><p><strong>Commuters face harrowing time</strong></p><p>With no movement of buses inside the City, passengers coming from distant places by train and bus, and those leaving to other places faced inconvenience during the bandh on Thursday.</p><p>The North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) suspended the services of BRTS and city buses since morning, as a precautionary measure. No bus arrived at or departed from bus stands in the City. Bendre buses remaed off roads, and unavailability of autorickshaws multiplied the woes of passengers.</p><p>The NWKRTC operated long-route buses from the outskirts of the City, and passengers faced severe hardships in reaching those places to board the buses or to come inside the City after alighting a bus. Autorickshaws were not moving in the city centre, as autorickshaw drivers’ association had also supported the bundh. Very few autorickshaws were operating in extension areas.</p><p>A woman, Laxmi Arekoppa, who came from Karatagi in Koppal district to Hubballi by a train wanted to travel to Tadas in Haveri district. As she could not get a bus or autorickshaw near the railway station, she walked for nearly two kilometres and then got an autorickshaw to reach Gabbur Cross on the bypass road to catch a bus to Tadas. </p><p>Many passengers experienced the same brunt in reaching their places. Passengers heading towards or coming from the railway station walking with heavy luggage on their heads was also a common scene.</p><p>Those moving in private vehicles also had to find out alternative route at several places, when protesters blocked roads at Keshwapur Circle, Indi Pump Circle, New English School Circle, Bankapur Chowk and other junctions. When the protesters stopped the vehicles, verbal clash also broke out between the travellers and protesters.</p>
<p>Hubballi/Dharwad: After a gap of several years, Hubballi witnessed an almost total bandh on Thursday, with most of the commercial establishments remaining closed, local bus service being suspended, </p><p>most schools declaring holiday, and the central business district of the City totally shut. The situation was same in Dharwad also.</p><p>The 12-hour bandh called by Samvidhan Shilpi Dr B R Ambedkaravara Swabhimani Abhimani Anuyayigala Balaga (SC/ST, Backward Classes, Minorities Unity Forum) was a typical one like those during Mahadayi agitation and other earlier occasions in Hubballi, with Chennamma Circle being the epicentre, and protesters from other areas joining there as the day progressed. Though the bandh was intensive in market places and Old Hubballi areas, majority of shops were shut even in residential areas, especially those on main roads.</p><p>Condemning Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement about Dr B R Ambedkar and demanding to sack him from the Union cabinet, members of Dalit organisations began protests early in the morning. With that, the NWKRTC suspended the services of BRTS and city buses. Bendre buses also remained off roads, while movement of autorickshaws was limited to city outskirts, as autorickshaw drivers’ associations had also extended support to the bandh.</p><p>Though two-wheelers and cars were moving, their number of comparatively less.</p><p>Market places like Koppikar Road, Janata Bazaar, Durgadabail and Old Hubballi were without business, as shop-keepers had downed shutters. Hotels were also not open in most of the areas in and around the city centre. Most of the schools had declared holiday, but some colleges opened though with very few students.</p><p>Banks and government offices were functioning, but with very less visitors. Hospitals, medical shops, milk booths and some petrol pumps were open as usual.</p><p>Day-to-day activities returned to normalcy only in evening, when buses started moving and shops opened.</p><p><strong>Hotels, eateries closed</strong></p><p>As hotels were closed, a large number of people had food at mass feeding centres of Siddharooda Mutt and other places. Devotees and people from outside the City stood in line from the morning in front of the Siddharoodha Dasoha Bhavan. Some persons also arranged food for destitutes.</p><p><strong>Tight security</strong></p><p>Tight security was arranged across Hubballi-Dharwad city as a precautionary measure. Police personnel were deployed from other districts to ensure security. Around 2,000 security personnel including local police, KSRP and home guards were on bundobust duty. Senior police officers conducted city rounds and inspected the situation.</p><p><strong>Commuters face harrowing time</strong></p><p>With no movement of buses inside the City, passengers coming from distant places by train and bus, and those leaving to other places faced inconvenience during the bandh on Thursday.</p><p>The North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) suspended the services of BRTS and city buses since morning, as a precautionary measure. No bus arrived at or departed from bus stands in the City. Bendre buses remaed off roads, and unavailability of autorickshaws multiplied the woes of passengers.</p><p>The NWKRTC operated long-route buses from the outskirts of the City, and passengers faced severe hardships in reaching those places to board the buses or to come inside the City after alighting a bus. Autorickshaws were not moving in the city centre, as autorickshaw drivers’ association had also supported the bundh. Very few autorickshaws were operating in extension areas.</p><p>A woman, Laxmi Arekoppa, who came from Karatagi in Koppal district to Hubballi by a train wanted to travel to Tadas in Haveri district. As she could not get a bus or autorickshaw near the railway station, she walked for nearly two kilometres and then got an autorickshaw to reach Gabbur Cross on the bypass road to catch a bus to Tadas. </p><p>Many passengers experienced the same brunt in reaching their places. Passengers heading towards or coming from the railway station walking with heavy luggage on their heads was also a common scene.</p><p>Those moving in private vehicles also had to find out alternative route at several places, when protesters blocked roads at Keshwapur Circle, Indi Pump Circle, New English School Circle, Bankapur Chowk and other junctions. When the protesters stopped the vehicles, verbal clash also broke out between the travellers and protesters.</p>
