Pro-Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj confident of full support for Karnataka bandh on Mar 22

Bengaluru, Mar 19 (PTI) Pro-Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj on Wednesday said the statewide bandh scheduled for March 22 is expected to be fully supported by all, despite some doubts surrounding the participation of certain organisations.

His comments come in the wake of controversy over the alleged assault of a state-run bus conductor in Belagavi last month for not knowing Marathi, which sparked calls for the bandh.
On February 28, 'Kannada Okkuta,' an umbrella organization representing various pro-Kannada groups, announced the statewide bandh from 6 am to 6 pm on March 22.
However, some organizations and unions have either chosen not to support the bandh or have decided to offer only moral support.
Prominent pro-Kannada groups, including the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike factions led by T A Narayana Gowda and Praveen Shetty, have also refrained from backing the bandh.

According to sources, some autorickshaw, cabs and private drivers unions or associations have extended support to the bandh, while hotels association, malls and bars and restaurants have only offered moral support.

While various trade unions are yet to take a call, many schools are said to be adopting a 'wait and watch' approach to decide.

"This bandh is for the sake of Kannada, Kannadigas. Everyone should support the bandh for the sake of Kannadigas, their pride and self respect. This is Kannadiga's bandh from Belagavi to Chamarajanagara and Mangaluru to Kolar on March 22," Vatal Nagaraj said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said it seems as though Belagavi is in the hands of Marathi speaking people and not Kannadigas, also politicians and Ministers from Belagavi are working as "agents of Marathis".

"Pro Kannada organisations have been fighting for the cause of Kannada continuously. We don't want Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) in Belagavi, I urge the Karnataka government to ban MES. We need to save Belagavi. The state transport bus conductor was assaulted by some Marathi speaking people in Belagavi in Karnataka. The bandh on March 22 is for bus drivers and conductors," he added.

To a question on certain pro-Kannada and other organisations not supporting the bandh, Nagraj said he has appealed to them to participate in it for the cause of Kannada.

Expressing confidence about the film industry and actors participating in the bandh, he also urged to Kannada literary figures to lend their support to the bandh.

A state-run bus conductor was allegedly assaulted by a group of Marathi-speaking people for not conversing in that language, while on duty.

The incident took place last month, when the bus was traveling 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 two states.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)