There was hardly any response to the North Karnataka bandh call on Thursday given by the Uttar Karnataka Raitha Sangha seeking separate statehood. It was yet another normal day for the people of the region.
Although the Utttar Karnataka Pratyeka Rajya Horata Samiti had withdrawn the bandh call on Wednesday following the assurance given by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on addressing the main demands, the Uttar Karnataka Raitha Sangha had said it would go ahead with the bandh call claiming that it had the support of 23 organisations.
But people did not show much interest and went ahead with their routine life. As announced, the Samiti members staged symbolic protests at district centres and submitted memoranda addressed to the Chief Minister, seeking corrective measures to mitigate the injustice to North Karnataka.
Since many pro-Kannada organisations, trade bodies and others had not extended support to the bandh call, shopkeepers kept their shops open and business establishments functioned normally.
In Hubballi, under the aegis of Uttar Karnataka Raitha Sangha, some farmers and women staged a demonstration at Kittur Chennamma Circle and in front of the office of Hubballi Tahsildar before submitting a memorandum condemning neglect of North Karnataka. They raised slogans demanding separate statehood.
Speaking to presspersons Sri Shadakshari Swami of Raja Vidyashrama, Hubballi, lambasted the State government for neglecting North Karnataka. He also criticised the Uttar Karnataka Pratyeka Rajya Horata Samiti president Somashekhar Kothambri for unilaterally withdrawing the bandh call.
Similar protests were held across the districts of the region.
