BENGALURU: Several Kannada outfits, under the banner ‘Kannada Okkuta’ led by Kannada activists Vatal Nagaraj and SaRa Govind have called for a ‘Karnataka bandh’ on September 29 and a Bengaluru Bandh on September 26. This is in protest against Cauvery Water Management Authority directions to Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of water till September 27.
Members of various Kannada outfits protested at Mysuru Bank Circle in the city on Sunday and said that injustice has been meted out to Karnataka in the Cauvery water sharing issue. They criticised the state government for releasing water to Tamil Nadu.
Vatal said, “A meeting of all Kannada organisations, farmers’ associations and others will be held on Monday to discuss bandhs on September 29 and September 26. An official announcement on the Karnataka bandh will be made on Monday after the meeting.”
He said the fight against Cauvery should not be restricted to Bengaluru as some organisations have called for a Bengaluru bandh. “To draw the attention of the government urgently, the fight for Cauvery water should be taken across Karnataka. Keeping the interests of farmers in mind, the state should immediately stop releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu,” he added.
He said that all members of Lok Sabha from the state should resign and a special assembly session should be convened immediately to discuss the Cauvery issue. Several associations, including wholesale merchants of various APMC yards and Karnataka Rajya Raste Sarige Samsthe Kendra Kannada Kriya Samithi, have also supported the bandh.
No change in Bengaluru bandh on Sept 26
Farmers and Kannada organisations -- under the banner of ‘Karnataka Jala Samrakshana Samiti’ -- that have called for Bengaluru bandh have said there is no change in the band date and it will be on September 26. They said the number of organisations supporting the bandh is increasing. The Outer Ring Road Companies Association (ORRCA) said they have not issued any directive to its member companies on the bandh.