Bandh on Cauvery water evokes enthusiastic response in Kolar

NT Correspondent

Kolar: The bandh call given by pro Kannada organisations in protest against release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu evoked a total response in Kolar district on Friday with business establishments and restaurants remained closed for the day.

All vehicular traffic including KSRTC buses were off the road. Though some financial institutions opened for the day they could not conduct much business owing to lack of customers and even Government offices had thin attendance.

Initially some educational institutions began to function but later had to let off the classes following objections by bandh organisers.

Police had made elaborate arrangements to prevent any untoward incident and police patrolling began as early as 5.30 in the morning in Kolar and other places.

Many organisations including Ryot Sangha, Kannada Sangha and others took out procession, while the members of the district Advocates’ Association took out a bike rally in principal streets of Kolar in protest against release of water to Tamil Nadu.

In the neighbouring Chikkaballapur district the bandh call evoked a partial response in the district barring two taluks of Chintamani and Sidlagatta where the bandh was total.

Business establishments were open and many educational institutions functioned normally in many parts of Chikkaballapur district on Friday.

Graffiti using blood

Kannada activists of Kolar resorted to a novel way of protest against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

About one dozen activists led by President of district Nagarika Horata Samithi Holali Prakash donated their blood to write the slogan ‘Cauvery nammadu”(Cauvery is ours) on a cloth which was later displayed at a prominent place near KSRTC bus stand in Kolar.

The activists secured the services of a para medical staff to draw blood.