Karnataka Bandh on March 22: Cabs, autos may stay off roads

BENGALURU: A section of pro-Kannada organisations on Tuesday asserted they were going ahead with their call to observe a Karnataka Bandh Saturday.
The announcement on the 6am-to-6pm bandh comes as exam season is picking up. However, no SSLC exam that begins Friday has been scheduled for Saturday. A schools' association said they would go ahead with exams for lower classes on that day in the interest of students.
While a cab drivers' association said they won't ply Saturday, road transport corporation employees said they will take a call in a day or two. Some autorickshaw drivers said they will participate in the bandh.
Vatal Nagaraj, leader of pro-Kannada organisations that have called the bandh, said the protest is against the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill and the atmosphere created in Belagavi region by Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti, where an NWKRTC bus conductor was attacked recently for not speaking in Marathi to a passenger.
However, the Kannada Rakshana Vedike faction headed by TA Narayana Gowda said it will stay away from the protest. "We never believe in protests. Rather we believe in focusing on problems and trying to solve them or fighting for the same. Yes, we're very disappointed with the Belagavi assault and GBG Bill, but we can't really support a full-day protest as it will affecting the earnings of people. So, we are not extending our support to the bandh," Gowda explained.
But Vatal Nagaraj said: "We are disappointed with Bengaluru being divided into four to seven parts. We are not going to cancel the bandh. We have support from over 2,000 Kannada activists. People are saying it will affect their livelihood if we have a bandh for one day, but what about things that are affecting us every day? This fight is not for me but for people in the state."
He said other issues of concern include the governor delivering his speech in Hindi, Kannadigas not getting adequate employment in the IT/BT sector, and the increasing influx of outsiders into Bengaluru.
N Ashok Kumar, vice-president, Ola Uber Drivers' and Owners' Association, said, "We fully support the bandh call. We are facing huge losses because of bike taxis. Where should we go for work when outsiders take over our livelihood? No cabs will ply on the road Saturday."
B Jayadev Raje Urs, convener of Joint Action Committee Unions, KSRTC, said, "We always extend moral support to protests. The Belagavi assault is not at all acceptable, mainly because we are public servants. As of now, we have not really decided to stop bus services. We have to think about public convenience... we will hold a meeting soon and decide."
D Shashi Kumar, general secretary of the Associated Managements of Private Unaided Schools in Karnataka, said, "We want to participate in the protest, but we can only extend moral support as of now due to ongoing exams across the state. Cancelling or postponing them will affect children... which we don't want to happen."
"We are supporting the bandh and our members won't operate that day. All our 20,000 drivers will join the bandh. I'm not sure what other auto unions have decided," said TN Sreenivas, president of Auto Rikshaw Drivers Union CITU. Approximately 2 lakh autorickshaws operate in the city.