Not many organisations have lent support to the Kannada Okkoota’s call for a Statewide bandh on Monday. The bandh was called seeking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention to implement the Kalasa-Banduri Nala project in north Karnataka and demanding a permanent irrigation facility for the parched districts of the Old Mysore region.
Though all the organisations are united in support of these two issues, the main contention of those who have decided against participating in the bandh is that they don’t want to cripple normal life repeatedly by observing bandhs. Nevertheless, all of them have offered “moral support” to the bandh.
While veteran Kannada protagonists Vatal Nagaraj and Sa. Ra. Govindu are leading the bandh, Kannada organisations such as the Narayana Gowda faction of Kannada Rakshana Vedike are not supporting the bandh.
Similarly, Bengaluru Tourist Taxi Owners’ Association, Bengaluru Hotel Owners’ Association, the auto-rickshaw owners and drivers’ association, and the APMC traders’ union have decided to stay away from the bandh. The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation will take a call on operating services after gauging the situation on the day.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister G. Parameshwara said the bandh call would not get the support of any sections.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha also has called for a bandh on Monday, seeking waiver of farm loans by the Centre. But the Karnataka Sugarcane Growers’ Association has made it clear it is not participating.
