Justice V.S. Malimath, Chairman of the Karnataka Border Protection Commission, strongly stressed on the need for setting up a Regional Office of the Commission at Belagavi to liaison between and various government offices and social organisations and individuals, including Kannada organisations to effectively reciprocate and respond to the issues and problems of the border areas of Belagavi and other parts of North Karnataka region.
Mr.Malimath, who rushed to Belagavi at the request of Belagavi District Kannada Organisations Action Committee and had a marathon interaction with its members here on Monday, said he would shortly write to the government set up the office, which could be looked after by the Belagavi-based sitting members of the Commission.
He would also write to effectively implement the decision on renaming Belgaum as “Belagavi” in all public and private establishments and services. He also welcomed the suggestion on setting up an exclusive North Karnataka Political Affairs Committee (under senior leader from the region H.K. Patil, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj) to act as representative of the government on various issues of concern, such as development of Kannada language and socio-economic and cultural empowerment of Kannadigas living in border areas of the region.
Mr.Mallimath was visibly hurt over the unexpected indifferent attitude of the top officials in the government, precisely the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and Director General of Police for their failure to respond to his request on matter related to summons by the National Human Rights Commission on alleged police excesses in Yellur of Belagavi taluk in July last. The NHRC has issues summons for the fourth time after the failure of the state government to respond to three earlier notices:
“Their own self-respect is at stake, if they cannot protect their own self-respect, what better one can expect them on protecting the self respect of the Kannadigas of border areas?”
