March 19, Bengaluru: Kannada Okkoota, the umbrella body of pro-Kannada organizations, has announced a state-wide bandh in Karnataka on Saturday, March 22, 2025, from 6 am to 6 pm. The protest is to denounce the reported repression of Kannadigas in Belagavi and the recent attack on a KSRTC bus conductor for not speaking Marathi.
The particular incident involved a KSRTC conductor who was allegedly assaulted by Marathi-speaking young men in Belagavi for failing to speak Marathi. The incident has escalated long-standing linguistic tensions in the border district and has led Kannada organizations to call for the ban of the Marathi Ekikaran Samiti in Karnataka and for Shiv Sena members to be excluded from entering the state.
Vatal Nagaraj, the head of Kannada Okkoota, stressed that the bandh is a question of self-respect and dignity of Kannadigas. He appealed to all drivers not to drive their vehicles on the day of the bandh, pointing out that the protest is being referred to as the ‘Karnataka Drivers’ Bandh.’ Nagaraj also called upon the public not to use the Metro on the day in protest against the recent fare increases.
Support for the bandh is uneven across sectors:
- Transport Associations: Ola, Uber Owners, and Drivers Association, among various private bus associations and autorickshaw unions, have lent their support to the bandh. This portends a big potential hit to public transport services in the state.
- Malls and Retail Outlets: A few malls in Bengaluru and other cities could remain shut on Saturday, as in line with the bandh’s goals.
- Hospitality and Movie Industries: These industries have pledged moral support to the bandh but are not going on strike.
- Trade Unions: Trade unions are also considering their position with respect to the bandh and have made no declaration of participation as yet.
Not all organizations support the bandh, however. Both sides of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, under T A Narayana Gowda and Praveen Shetty, have decided against supporting the shutdown. Gowda was worried about the economic implications of such a protest, and while admitting that the problems were important, a day-long bandh would hurt people’s livelihoods.
The bandh is on the day of the examination season in Karnataka. While the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination starts on Friday, there will be no examinations on Saturday. But some schools have scheduled exams for lower classes on that day. The Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka has said that these examinations will go on as planned, considering the students’ interests.
In light of the bandh, commuters are advised to plan their travel accordingly, anticipating disruptions in public transportation. Authorities are expected to issue further guidelines to ensure public safety and maintain essential services during the protest.
The Karnataka bandh underscores the deep-seated linguistic and cultural sentiments in the state, reflecting ongoing challenges in balancing regional identities within the broader national framework. Keep Reading Questiqa.in
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