Now Reading: Karnataka bandh on August 13 will go ahead, says Vatal Nagaraj
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Karnataka bandh on August 13 will go ahead, says Vatal Nagaraj
Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj said on Monday that the Karnataka bandh called for August 13 will go ahead as planned, despite reports of differences among pro-Kannada organisations. Nagaraj claimed over 2,000 organisations…
The Story in Brief
Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj said on Monday that the Karnataka bandh called for August 13 will go ahead as planned, despite reports of differences among pro-Kannada organisations. Nagaraj claimed over 2,000 organisations and students have backed the shutdown. The bandh was called after the Cauvery Water Management Authority directed Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days, which the state initially resisted due to poor reservoir storage.
The Bangalore Hotels Association initially extended moral support but later appealed to withdraw the bandh, citing the state's rainfall and court guidelines against shutdowns. Meanwhile, Nagaraj and other activists were detained by police near the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border in Attibele while protesting Tamil Nadu's opposition to the Mekedatu project. Nagaraj warned that Bengaluru will face a drinking water shortage if Mekedatu is not implemented.
The Indian Opinion
The narrative that the bandh has unanimous support is exaggerated: the Bangalore Hotels Association first backed it, then appealed for a withdrawal, and some pro-Kannada groups are still deciding. Equally misplaced is the claim that the bandh is a pointless disruption, the Cauvery water dispute is a genuine livelihood issue for farmers on both sides. The real test will be whether the shutdown actually halts essential services, or whether the all-party meeting called by D K Shivakumar produces a workable compromise instead.
Source: indiatoday.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
