As multiple Kannada and state-based farming groups called for Karnataka bandh today, the state police have tightened security measures across districts. Security measures have also been ramped up across Bengaluru in response to the day-long shutdown call. The demonstration was organised by multiple Kannada and farming associations to protest the recent directive regarding the Cauvery water-sharing arrangement with Tamil Nadu.
Despite the bandh, essential services including schools, hospitals, pharmacies, public transport, and banks are scheduled to function as usual. However, local authorities have taken precautionary measures, such as the Mandya district administration enforcing tight restrictions on the sale of alcohol alongside increased police presence at anticipated protest hubs.
Police Response and Appeals for Calm
The Bengaluru City Police urged residents to remain cooperative and peaceful ahead of the August 13 statewide shutdown. According to an official press release from the Police Commissioner, while some groups are actively participating in the bandh, other groups have clarified that they do not support the strike.
In their public advisory, the Bengaluru City Police emphasised that law enforcement fully acknowledges the democratic right of citizens to stage peaceful protests under legal bounds. Authorities simultaneously stressed the equal importance of safeguarding the public’s right to pursue daily routines free from disruption.
Unique Protest In Koppal
A unique protest was witnessed in Koppal on Thursday as Karnataka observed a statewide bandh over the Cauvery water-sharing issue, with protesters offering roses to drivers of Tamil Nadu-origin lorries while urging them not to “provoke” Karnataka amid the ongoing dispute over the release of Cauvery water. The demonstration was held at the Hitnal Toll Gate on the National Highway in Koppal taluk, where activists led by Kerave Yuva Sene leader Vijayakumar stopped Tamil Nadu-origin lorries as part of the bandh.
Rather than confronting the drivers, the protesters handed them roses as a symbolic gesture. “We are peace-loving people. Do not provoke us,” Vijayakumar told the lorry drivers while handing over the flowers. The protesters also raised slogans against the Tamil Nadu government and expressed their opposition to the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee’s (CWRC) directive to Karnataka to release 12,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days.
Background on the Cauvery Water Dispute
The unrest stems from directives issued by the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), which instructed Karnataka to transfer 12,000 cusecs of water daily to neighboring Tamil Nadu for a 15-day period beginning August 12. This mandate follows a prior recommendation by the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC), requiring the water to be measured at Biligundlu. In vehement opposition to these orders, agricultural unions organised protests in Mandya, paving the way for the broader statewide bandh call.
Legal Proceedings Postponed
On the legal front, a Supreme Court hearing regarding Tamil Nadu’s petition—which urges the court to compel Karnataka into following the CWMA’s water-release decision—has been pushed back to August 17.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant announced the rescheduling after Justice Vikram Nath, designated to lead the presiding bench, contracted a viral fever. The matter was originally slated for Thursday and will now be taken up once Justice Nath returns to judicial duties next week.
Bureau Report
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