Karnataka bandh evokes muted response, normal life continues in Mysuru and Belagavi
A statewide shutdown called in Karnataka to protest the directive to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu made little impact in Mysuru and Belagavi on Wednesday, with shops, schools, and public transport functioning as usual.
The shutdown call, issued by pro-Kannada groups, drew only symbolic support in Mysuru. Commercial establishments on major thoroughfares such as D. Devaraja Urs Road and Sayyaji Rao Road remained open, and hotels and restaurants operated normally. KSRTC buses and autorickshaws plied as usual, and private vehicles moved freely across the city.
As a precaution, police personnel were deployed in substantial numbers in the central business district. A few activists from pro-Kannada organisations and the Cauvery Action Committee were taken into preventive custody when they tried to block buses at the Sub-Urban Bus Stand. Earlier, the activists staged a demonstration on Ashoka Road, demanding that water from the Cauvery river not be released to Tamil Nadu under any circumstances.
In a separate symbolic protest, farmers affiliated with the State Sugarcane Growers' Association, led by Bhagyaraj, marched through the streets carrying empty pots. Members of Karnataka Kavalu Pade and other groups held a demonstration at Sri Jayachamarajendra Circle, voicing opposition to the water release.
KSRTC Mysuru Rural Division Controller Veeresh confirmed that bus services were operating normally. “All scheduled services are being operated, with passengers being ferried to their destinations without any disruption,” he said.
The response was similarly subdued in Belagavi district in northwestern Karnataka. Buses and private vehicles moved normally, and all schools, colleges, government offices, and private establishments remained open. Shops, hotels, and hospitals conducted routine business.
The central committee of Kannada organisations in Belagavi had earlier decided to extend moral support to the shutdown but declined to participate actively. Committee members said activist Vatal Nagaraj, who had agreed to include faster implementation of the Mahadayi river basin projects among the shutdown's demands, had failed to keep his promise. Some Kannada groups had announced their participation, but in the end, there was no visible impact of the call.
The shutdown was organised in response to a directive to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu at a time when Karnataka is facing drought-like conditions due to poor rainfall. The Cauvery water-sharing dispute is a long-standing issue between the two states, with the directive adding to existing tensions. However, the muted response indicates limited public enthusiasm for the protest in these regions.
