BENGALURU: The city wore a deserted look as major areas in the city, including markets, malls, multiplexes and commercial establishments remained closed on Tuesday to support the bandh.
“More than 2,000 shops in KR Market remained shut to support the farmers of Karnataka. There are traders of all communities in KR Market including some from Tamil Nadu. All of them stood in solidarity with Karnataka over the Cauvery issue,” said the president of KR Market Traders Association, GM Diwakar.
“The bandh was a success as everyone understood that the water levels in the KRS, Kabini and Harangi dams are depleting, and the current levels are only be sufficient to supply drinking water,” he added.
Farmers from Mysuru, Mandya, Ramanagara, Chamarajanagar and other regions provide us vegetables, flowers, and other staple food grains, and it is our duty to support our farmers, said Diwakar.
Echoing the same sentiment, N Kumar, a leading film exhibitor said, all the theatres in Bengaluru had cancelled the first and matinee shows.
“The Kannada cinema industry has always stood by issues like language, land, and water. Hence to extend support, no bookings were taken for the morning and matinee shows in any theatre. Some also asked about the financial loss and other implications of the bandh, but these things cannot be compared with the Cauvery struggle” he said.
Suhail Yusuf, Secretary, of Brigade Shops and Establishment Association said, there are 124 shops on Brigade Road and most of them were shut to support the bandh.
“Since it was a Cauvery struggle, we also extended our support to the farmers,” said Yusuf. “Extending moral support to the farmers of Karnataka, over 225 shops on Commercial Street remained closed on Tuesday,” said Mayank Rohatgi, Secretary of Commercial Street Association.