Now Reading: Karnataka bandh: schools and banks open, security tight
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Karnataka bandh: schools and banks open, security tight
The Karnataka bandh called by Kannada organisations against the Cauvery water-sharing order is underway from 6 am to 6 pm on August 13. Schools, banks, hospitals and pharmacies are functioning normally, and…
The Story in Brief
The Karnataka bandh called by Kannada organisations against the Cauvery water-sharing order is underway from 6 am to 6 pm on August 13. Schools, banks, hospitals and pharmacies are functioning normally, and Bengaluru Police have deployed extra security. Hindustan Times reports that public transport is unaffected, though India TV News had conflicting reports. The bandh protests the Cauvery Water Management Authority's direction to Karnataka to release 12,000 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu for 15 days. School managements withdrew a closure call but said they would offer moral support by wearing black ribbons.
Chief minister DK Shivakumar said the state must protect its farmers while also abiding by court orders. The police have warned against violence, damage to property or obstruction of traffic and essential services.
The Indian Opinion
This bandh shows the usual pattern: activist groups claim the government is selling out the state, while the government pleads it must follow the law. Both sides ignore that the Cauvery dispute is a decades-old legal tangle which will not be solved by a one-day shutdown that inconveniences citizens. The real test is August 17, when the Supreme Court will hear the matter. Will Karnataka actually release the full 12,000 cusecs till then? That number will tell us who is serious about a solution.
Sources (4): hindustantimes.com, hindustantimes.com (2), indiatvnews.com, indiatvnews.com (2)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 4 sources linked above.
