Separate Dharwad corpn needed for better governance: Hiremath

Dharwad,

The demand for bifurcating the Hubballi Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) and establishing a separate Municipal Corporation for Dharwad has reached a tipping point. Leading this intense, non-partisan agitation is prominent High Court Advocate B.D. Hiremath. Following his crucial meeting with Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, News Trail caught up with Mr. Hiremath to discuss the government's response, the administrative neglect of Dharwad, and the roadmap for the struggle ahead.

News Trail: You recently met with the Chief Minister. What was his stance, and what is the exact timeline or deadline you have set for the government?                                                                                                                                                                                                                      B.D. Hiremath: I have submit ted a comprehensive, detailed report directly to the CM. During the meeting, he gave us oral as surances that the matter would be resolved. However, we are not blindly relying on vague promises. We have set a strict one-month ultimatum, with July 9th being the critical deadline. If the government fails to take a concrete decision by then, our next course of action is an absolute, unavoidable Satyagraha.

News Trail: Some political factions claim that a combined corporation is stronger. Why are you so fiercely pushing for a split.                               B.D. Hiremath: Growth requires administrative breathing room. Look at history—states were reorganized in 1956 for better governance, not to "break" the country. When you have 100 corporators under one massive, bloated body, they end up constantly fighting over resources, and Dharwad always gets the short end of the stick. A smaller, focused corporation for Dharwad means stream lined governance, localized priority-fixing, and a direct end to administrative delays.

News Trail: Critics argue that a separate Dharwad Corporation won't be financially sustainable and will lose out on major grants, like those from the 16th Finance Commission. How do you respond to that?                                                                                                                                            B.D. Hiremath: That is an argument made by people who haven't studied the system. Ask these critics: which corporation in Karnataka survives purely on its own generated revenue without state and central grants? Ever since Octroi was abolished, local bodies have inherently relied on devolved funds. Dharwad has the infrastructure, the tax-paying demographic, and the legal right to direct funding. A separate corporation will actually allow us to claim dedicated grants directly, rather than letting them get swallowed up by Hubblli-centric projects.

News Trail: This movement was supposed to be completely non partisan, yet we see politicians from both major parties trying to hijack the narrative. Has your 'Lax man Rekha' been breached?                                                                                                                                                B.D. Hiremath: From day one, I drew a strict Laxman Rekha (boundary). I told politicians: "Do your politics outside, but when you enter this forum, you sit purely as a satyagrahi." Naturally, with elections always on the horizon, politicians from both sides are trying to claim credit or create confusion because they fear losing relevance. But this is a people’s movement. Political games might work in election campaigns, but they will fail against a principled Satyagraha.

News Trail: On a personal note, your long beard has become synonymous with your activist identity, dating back to the historic struggle for the High Court Bench in Dharwad. Is there a story behind why you never shaved it?                                                                                                                  B.D. Hiremath: (Smiles) Yes, there is an interesting history to it. Years ago, during a major function during the High Court Bench agitation, the late Sri Vishwesha Tirtharu of Pejavara Matha was delivering his blessings. He looked at me and publicly stated, "There are two major seats of power here—the Pejavara Matha and the High Court Bench. And the entire power of this High Court agitation rests in this man's beard." After that spiritual mandate, I simply vowed never to shave it. It became a symbol of our unresolved struggles.