'Bharat Bandh' partial in Karnataka; poor response in Mysuru, coastal region

Private buses operated as usual and business was normal in Mangaluru on Tuesday. DH Photo

The Bharat Bandh, called by various farmer organisations protesting farm laws brought in by the Centre, evoked partial response in the state on Tuesday.

The bandh call received a lukewarm response in Mysuru with life remaining largely normal. However, farmers, members of various political parties, pro-Kannada and Leftist organisations staged protests across the city.

The bandh fizzled out as the day progressed. While some shops resumed business after 11.30 am, some more opened by evening.

The response was no different in Hassan also. KSRTC bus services, autorickshaws and other vehicles plied as usual. Hotels, shops, banks and government offices were open. The business was as usual in markets. Weekly shandies too were not affected. Normal life was not affected and the bandh was restricted only to protests in Mandya.

The response was poor in Mangaluru also. Government and private buses operated as usual. The business was normal at shops and commercial establishments. Dakshina Kannada city bus owners’ association president Dilraj Alva said that the association did not extend support to the bandh call. There was a muted response in Kodagu district also. Most of the shops remained open in Chikkamagaluru.

North and Kalyana Karnataka

There was mixed response in Hubballi-Dharwad. Most of the shops remained closed. The KSRTC and BRTS buses did not venture on the roads. Farmers stage a protest in Haveri while they blocked roads in Vijayapura and Mudhol of Bagalkot district. The protesters blocked Belagavi-Raichur state highway for around 30 minutes.

Life was normal in Belagavi, Gadag and Karwar. Shops and commercial establishments remained open and vehicles plied as usual.

The bandh call evoked mixed response in Kalyana Karnataka region. Leaders of political parties and farmer associations staged a protest in Kalaburagi. As a precautionary measure, the NEKRTC had withdrawn its bus services and the city buses too didn’t ply. The movement of private vehicles including autorickshaws and two-wheelers was less till afternoon.

The bandh was not successful in Bidar and Vijayanagar districts while it was partially successful in Raichur.

Peaceful protests received wider support, but normal life was not affected.

Many organisations had joined the farmers in a show of strength, leading to protests and rallies at Maurya circle, Town Hall, Mysore Bank Circle and Freedom Park. Thousands of farmers from various districts had come to Bengaluru to take part in the protest against the Union government.

At Maurya circle the farmers blocked the road by preparing tea on the road and also slept on the roads blocking the movement of the vehicles. A few protesters were seen asking the motorists to go back to their residences and in a few places they asked the shopowners to close and support the bandh.

The police deployed at these places of major crowd gathering and other places across the city managed to stop them from blocking the road and also from involving in any unlawful activities. According to city police they didn’t detain anyone, but stopped them from heading towards Vidhana Soudha.

The farmers have given a call to lay siege to Vidhana Soudha on Wednesday and the police have made the necessary arrangements to stop them.