Pro-Kannada organisations have called for a bandh on Saturday against Karnataka government’s decision to set up a Maratha Development Authority (MDA), the formation of which was announced by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on November 14. The Kannada organisations contended that welfare measures sought for Kannadigas must be addressed first before looking at boards and corporations for other languages.
However, the government said it will not veer from its plans to set up the MDA and won’t allow a forced bandh either. It also granted Rs 50 crore as initial grant for the corporation.
Yediyurappa on Friday made a fervent appeal to pro-Kannada organisations not to go for bandh against the formation of the MDA. “I have already given prominence to Kannada and I am ready to do whatever is required to be done to make Kannada prominent,” he said.
While hotels, bus services and government offices will not be affected by the bandh, some unions of autoricksaw drivers and cab drivers have decided to join the bandh call voluntarily.
Shops and hotels associations will remain unaffected as they have chosen to remain open. The associations defended their stance saying they have already suffered huge losses during the lockdown.
In Bengaluru, about 14,000 policemen will be deployed. The move to set up the MDA was seen as an attempt to woo Marathas who are dominant in Basava Kalyan in Bidar district, bordering with Maharashtra.
Assembly by-election is due in Basava Kalyan following the death of the sitting Congress MLA B Narayan Rao due to coronavirus a few months ago. The decision led to the growing clamour for various other development authorities and development corporations.
The government further announced the formation of Veerashaiva Lingayat Development Corporation with a fund of Rs 500 crore. Basava Kalyan is an important pilgrimage for the people of Lingayat sect, as it was the ‘Karmabhoomi’ of the founder of the sect and 12th century social reformer Basaveshwara.
Yet, these measures did not impress the pro-Kannada organisations. They want the government to withdraw the MDA for the reason that Marathis keep demanding secession of Belagavi district from Karnataka and merger with Maharashtra as the district has a sizeable Marathi population for being at the border of the two states.
The Belagavi-based Maharasthra Ekikaran Samiti, which led the agitation for the merger of Belagavi with Maharashtra had even managed to send some of its members to the Karnataka Assembly.
With PTI inputs
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