Pro-Kannada umbrella organisation 'Kannada Okkuta' has called for a statewide bandh in Karnataka on March 22 to protest against the alleged assault on a state-run bus conductor for not speaking Marathi in Belagavi, -- a border district with Maharashtra.
Leading the call for the bandh, Kannada activist and Kannada Okkuta leader Vattal Nagaraj condemned the incident and urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, along with various organisations, to support the protest. The issue has reignited tensions over language and identity in the region, with Kannada activists demanding stronger action to protect Kannada-speaking citizens.
"On March 22, from 6 am to 6 pm, there will be a bandh across Karnataka. Those who will support the shutdown or not, we will see later... This bandh is for this state, for Kannada, Kannadigas and Karnataka... This is for the pride of Kannada and Karnataka," Vatal Nagaraj said.
Addressing reporters here after the Okkuta's meeting, he made an open call for all organisations and leaders to participate in the bandh. He also appealed to the CM and the government to support the bandh. In addition, Nagaraj requested that Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy to suspend all state-run bus services on March 22. He also called on the hotel owners association and the film industry to support the bandh for a day. According to Nagaraj, several malls have already extended support. He has also appealed to government employees and labour unions, associations of farmers, lorry owners, taxis, and private schools to extend support.
Kannada Okkuta plans to lay siege to Raj Bhavan
As part of the agitation, the Kannada Okkuta plans to lay siege to Raj Bhavan from 11.30 am on March 3, demanding action to 'Save Belagavi'. On March 7, there will be a procession in Belagavi -- 'Belagavi Chalo'. He further said the group would demand implementation of the Mekedatu project across Cauvery river, and call for bandh in Attibele, bordering Tamil Nadu on March 11.
On March 14, there will be a protest in front of the offices of Deputy Commissioner in Mandya, Mysuru, Ramanagara. There will be a protest halting traffic on Old Madras road near Hoskote here, on March 16 and on March 18 all the pro-Kannada organisations will hold a meet in Bengaluru, he added.
Why was conductor assaulted?
A state-run bus conductor was allegedly assaulted by a group of Marathi-speaking youth for not conversing in the language, while on duty. The incident occurred last week, when the bus was plying from Belagavi city to Balekundri.
Following this, inter-state bus services between Maharashtra and Karnataka were suspended, in a way escalating the decades-old border and language dispute between the two states.
The border issue dates back to 1957 when states were reorganised on linguistic lines. Maharashtra laid claim to Belagavi, which was part of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency, as it has a sizable Marathi-speaking population, and over 800 Marathi-speaking border villages that are currently a part of Karnataka.
Karnataka maintained that the demarcation done on linguistic lines as per the States Reorganisation Act and the 1967 Mahajan Commission Report is final. To assert that Belagavi is an integral part of the state, Karnataka built the 'Suvarna Vidhana Soudha' there, modelled on the Vidhana Soudha, the seat of the State Legislature and Secretariat in Bengaluru.
(With PTI inputs)